Thermoelectric properties of vertically aligned nanocomposite films

Thermoelectric materials are a rapidly evolving research area as they are used in a wide range of applications. The optimizing of the thermoelectric properties is therefore of great interest. Using a new strategy with built in nanopillars, consisting of nanoparticles within a matrix of material, offer promising advantages as a key parameter, the thermal conductivity, could be lowered this way. The composite (La0.7Sr0.3MnO3)0.1 : (ZnO)0.9 is a candidate for promising thermoelectric properties. This composite was grown using pulsed laser deposition on 7 different substrates in order to investigate its growing behavior. The growth on a ZnO (0001) substrate showed the most promising results with a powerfactor (S2σ) of 23.6μW/(cmK2) which is in the range of the high-performance thermoelectric material Bi2Te3 at room temperature. [1] As seen on SEM images, it can be seen that the vertically aligned nanocomposite has been successfully grown on this sample. Clear LSMO pillars were observed within the ZnO matrix.