Enhancement of thermoelectric properties of Mg₂Sn single crystals via lattice-defect engineering

Abstract

Thermoelectric (TE) power generation, which is one of the potential clean power technologies, has attracted much attention due to the recent development of high-performance TE materials. We have focused on Mg₂Sn and aimed to improve its TE performance by preparing single crystals (SCs) and introducing lattice defects. In this paper, experimental results on crystal structure analysis, microstructure observation, and TE properties are presented to demonstrate that we can enhance TE performance of Mg₂Sn SCs superior to that of Mg₂Sn polycrystals via lattice-defect engineering.