Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

Ishikawa Prefecture

Hakusan Corporation

Toshiharu Minamikawa

Mikio Koyano

Takeshi Toyoda

Kazumasa Yasuda

Shigeyuki Tsurumi

Akinari Matoba

Takeshi Sotome

A thermoelectric material includes a parent phase in which an MgSiSn alloy is a main component, a void formed in the parent phase, and a silicon layer that is formed on at least a wall surface of the void and that includes silicon as a main component. The thermoelectric material further includes MgO in an amount of 1.0 wt. % or more and 20.0 wt. % or less. The silicon layer includes amorphous Si, or amorphous Si and nanosized Si crystals, and the parent phase includes a region in which the composition ratio of the Si of the chemical composition of the MgSiSn alloy is higher than in the other regions and a region in which the composition ratio of the Sn of the chemical composition of the MgSiSn alloy is higher than in the other regions. With these configurations, the thermoelectric material realizes both lower thermal conductivity and lower electrical resistivity.

Thermoelectric material and thermoelectric module

Growing community of inventors

Ishikawa, Japan

Toshiharu Minamikawa