Issue 18, 2016

Transition-metal-nitride-based thin films as novel energy harvesting materials

Abstract

The last few years have seen a rise in the interest in early transition-metal and rare-earth nitrides, primarily based on ScN and CrN, for energy harvesting by thermoelectricity and piezoelectricity. This is because of a number of important advances, among those the discoveries of exceptionally high piezoelectric coupling coefficient in (Sc,Al)N alloys and of high thermoelectric power factors of ScN-based and CrN-based thin films. These materials also constitute well-defined model systems for investigating thermodynamics of mixing for alloying and nanostructural design for optimization of phase stability and band structure. These features have implications for and can be used for tailoring of thermoelectric and piezoelectric properties. In this highlight article, we review the ScN- and CrN-based transition-metal nitrides for thermoelectrics, and drawing parallels with piezoelectricity. We further discuss these materials as a models systems for general strategies for tailoring of thermoelectric properties by integrated theoretical–experimental approaches.

Graphical abstract: Transition-metal-nitride-based thin films as novel energy harvesting materials

Article information

Article type
Highlight
Submitted
20 nov 2015
Accepted
12 feb 2016
First published
12 feb 2016
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2016,4, 3905-3914

Author version available

Transition-metal-nitride-based thin films as novel energy harvesting materials

P. Eklund, S. Kerdsongpanya and B. Alling, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2016, 4, 3905 DOI: 10.1039/C5TC03891J

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