Doping studies and thermoelectric properties of TiS/sub 2/

Abstract

Titanium disulfide is a single-crystal semiconductor, which has been investigated for possible application in thermoelectric devices. Previous research has shown that TiS2 possesses thermopower values that are comparable to that of bismuth telluride, the standard thermoelectric material. Unfortunately, large thermal conductivity impedes the thermoelectric efficiency, leading to a ZT several times smaller than that of Bi2Te3. This research is concerned with synthesis of doped TiS2 systems to see if the thermal conductivity can be reduced while maintaining a relatively high thermopower. This paper is part of ongoing research into this system and presents the first phase of the experiment. Isovalent and n-type dopants from the transition metals, semimetals, and rare earth elements were used in syntheses to find doped systems that maintained high thermopower values. Thermal conductivity measurements of the systems which maintain the high initial thermopower values of TiS2 will be the next phase of the research.