Advances in the optimization of silicon-based thermoelectrics: a theory perspective

Abstract

Thermoelectric devices convert temperature gradients into electrical power and vice versa, thus enabling energy scavenging from waste heat, sensing and cooling. Yet, many of these attractive applications are hindered by the limited efficiency of thermoelectric materials, especially in the low temperature regime. This review provides a summary of the recent advances in the design of new efficient silicon--based thermoelectric materials through nanostructuring, alloying and chemical optimization, emphasizing the contribution from theory and atomistic modeling.

2 figures

References in corpus (9)

• Calculation of nanowire thermal conductivity using complete phonon dispersion relations
• Impact of Phonon Surface Roughness Scattering on Thermal Conductivity of Thin Si Nanowires
• Role of anharmonic phonon scattering in the spectrally decomposed thermal conductance at planar interfaces
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• Dimensionality and heat transport in Si-Ge superlattices
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