Enhanced thermoelectric properties of Ga-doped In2O3 ceramics via synergistic band gap engineering and phonon suppression

Ga doped In2O3-based thermoelectric materials were prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) using sintered powders in the low temperature solid phase. The solubility of Ga in In2O3 is about 10 at%, much larger than other elements such as Ge, Ce, etc. The larger solubility of Ga allows us to optimize the thermal and electrical transport properties of Ga doped In2O3 in a wider window. While tuning the concentration of dopants, the thermoelectric performance of Ga doped In2O3 was enhanced through a synergistic approach combining band-gap engineering and phonon suppression. The power factor increases from ∼0.5 × 10−4 to ∼9.6 × 10−4 W mK−2 at 700 °C while thermal conductivity reduces from ∼4 to ∼2 W mK−1 at 700 °C in In1.9Ga0.1O3. The maximum ZT of 0.37, increased by a factor of 4 from the pristine In2O3, is achieved in In1.9Ga0.1O3 at 700 °C.