Enhanced Electrical Transport and Thermoelectric Properties in Ni Doped Cu3SbSe4

In this study, we report the enhanced thermoelectric performance of Cu3SbSe4 by Ni doping at Cu site. Cu3-xNixSbSe4 (x = 0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05) were prepared by melt growth, ball milling followed by spark plasma sintering. Structural characterization, phase analysis and surface morphology were carried out using X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Electrical and thermal properties of all the samples were investigated in the temperature range 300 - 650 K. Decrease in electrical resistivity with Ni doping due to increase in carrier concentration with enhanced Seebeck coefficient via increase in density of state near the Fermi level gives a remarkably high power factor. At the same time, thermal conductivity was found to decrease due to increased carrier-phonon scattering and acoustic phonon scattering. Consequently, a remarkable enhancement in the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT similar to 0.65) of Cu3-xNixSbSe4 was achieved for x = 0.01 sample. Thus, Ni doping is an effective approach to improve the efficiency of Cu3SbSe4.