High-resolution nanostructural investigation of Zn4Sb 3 alloys

Baptiste Gault; Emmanuelle A. Marquis; David W. Saxey; Gareth M. Hughes; Dominique Mangelinck; Eric S. Toberer; G. Jeff Snyder

doi:10.1016/j.scriptamat.2010.06.014

High-resolution nanostructural investigation of Zn₄Sb ₃ alloys

Baptiste Gault^*, Emmanuelle A. Marquis, David W. Saxey, Gareth M. Hughes, Dominique Mangelinck, Eric S. Toberer, G. Jeff Snyder

^*Corresponding author for this work

Materials Science and Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

Zinc antimonides exhibit high thermoelectric figures of merit and bear great potential for power generation. To advance the understanding of the structure-property relationship in these alloys, the microstructure of a nanocrystalline Zn₄Sb₃ alloy, containing 57.29 at.% Zn, was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. Chemical inhomogeneities were observed at grain boundaries. Within the grains the distribution of Zn shows large fluctuations inducing a complex microstructure made of Zn-rich and Sb-rich regions at a nanometer scale.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	784-787
Number of pages	4
Journal	Scripta Materialia
Volume	63
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scriptamat.2010.06.014
State	Published - Oct 2010

Funding

The Oxford FIM Group acknowledges the EPSRC for funding under Grant No. EP/077664/1 , with which the UK National Atom Probe Facility was established. Thanks to Drs. M. Descoin and K. Hoummada and Prof. M.C. Record for fruitful discussions, help and advice with specimen preparation. B.G. acknowledges the financial support of the European Commission via an FP7 Marie Curie IEF Action No. 237059 . E.A.M. acknowledges financial support from the Royal Society via a Dorothy Hodgkin fellowship.

Keywords

Atom probe tomography
Scanning electron microscopy
Thermoelectric material
Zinc antimonide

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Materials Science
Condensed Matter Physics
Mechanics of Materials
Mechanical Engineering
Metals and Alloys

Access to Document

10.1016/j.scriptamat.2010.06.014

Cite this

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title = "High-resolution nanostructural investigation of Zn4Sb 3 alloys",

abstract = "Zinc antimonides exhibit high thermoelectric figures of merit and bear great potential for power generation. To advance the understanding of the structure-property relationship in these alloys, the microstructure of a nanocrystalline Zn4Sb3 alloy, containing 57.29 at.% Zn, was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. Chemical inhomogeneities were observed at grain boundaries. Within the grains the distribution of Zn shows large fluctuations inducing a complex microstructure made of Zn-rich and Sb-rich regions at a nanometer scale.",

keywords = "Atom probe tomography, Scanning electron microscopy, Thermoelectric material, Zinc antimonide",

author = "Baptiste Gault and Marquis, {Emmanuelle A.} and Saxey, {David W.} and Hughes, {Gareth M.} and Dominique Mangelinck and Toberer, {Eric S.} and Snyder, {G. Jeff}",

note = "Funding Information: The Oxford FIM Group acknowledges the EPSRC for funding under Grant No. EP/077664/1 , with which the UK National Atom Probe Facility was established. Thanks to Drs. M. Descoin and K. Hoummada and Prof. M.C. Record for fruitful discussions, help and advice with specimen preparation. B.G. acknowledges the financial support of the European Commission via an FP7 Marie Curie IEF Action No. 237059 . E.A.M. acknowledges financial support from the Royal Society via a Dorothy Hodgkin fellowship.",

year = "2010",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1016/j.scriptamat.2010.06.014",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "63",

pages = "784--787",

journal = "Scripta Materialia",

issn = "1359-6462",

publisher = "Acta Materialia Inc",

number = "7",

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T1 - High-resolution nanostructural investigation of Zn4Sb 3 alloys

AU - Gault, Baptiste

AU - Marquis, Emmanuelle A.

AU - Saxey, David W.

AU - Hughes, Gareth M.

AU - Mangelinck, Dominique

AU - Toberer, Eric S.

AU - Snyder, G. Jeff

N1 - Funding Information: The Oxford FIM Group acknowledges the EPSRC for funding under Grant No. EP/077664/1 , with which the UK National Atom Probe Facility was established. Thanks to Drs. M. Descoin and K. Hoummada and Prof. M.C. Record for fruitful discussions, help and advice with specimen preparation. B.G. acknowledges the financial support of the European Commission via an FP7 Marie Curie IEF Action No. 237059 . E.A.M. acknowledges financial support from the Royal Society via a Dorothy Hodgkin fellowship.

PY - 2010/10

Y1 - 2010/10

N2 - Zinc antimonides exhibit high thermoelectric figures of merit and bear great potential for power generation. To advance the understanding of the structure-property relationship in these alloys, the microstructure of a nanocrystalline Zn4Sb3 alloy, containing 57.29 at.% Zn, was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. Chemical inhomogeneities were observed at grain boundaries. Within the grains the distribution of Zn shows large fluctuations inducing a complex microstructure made of Zn-rich and Sb-rich regions at a nanometer scale.

AB - Zinc antimonides exhibit high thermoelectric figures of merit and bear great potential for power generation. To advance the understanding of the structure-property relationship in these alloys, the microstructure of a nanocrystalline Zn4Sb3 alloy, containing 57.29 at.% Zn, was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. Chemical inhomogeneities were observed at grain boundaries. Within the grains the distribution of Zn shows large fluctuations inducing a complex microstructure made of Zn-rich and Sb-rich regions at a nanometer scale.

KW - Atom probe tomography

KW - Scanning electron microscopy

KW - Thermoelectric material

KW - Zinc antimonide

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