Thermoelectric materials fabricated from clathrate compounds and other materials which form an inclusion complex and method for optimizing selected thermoelectric properties

Abstract

The present invention allows optimum filling of cavities or cages typically found in crystal lattice type structures associated with an inclusion complex such as formed by clathrate compounds. Filling such cavities or cages in the associated crystal lattice type structure provides semiconductor materials which are particularly beneficial for use in fabricating thermoelectric devices for electrical power generation and/or cooling applications. By filling the cavities or cages associated with clathrate compounds with selected metal and/or semi-metal atoms, reductions in thermal conductivity may be optimized while at the same time minimizing any reduction in electrical properties of the resulting semiconductor materials. As a result, the thermoelectric Figure of Merit for a thermoelectric device fabricated from such clathrate compounds is maximized. The present invention allows optimizing both the size and type of atoms used to fill cavities or cages in an inclusion complex and to optimize the ratio between a first group of inclusion atoms and a second group of inclusion atoms used to fill such cavities or cages to maximize the thermoelectric Figure of Merit for the resulting thermoelectric device.