Structure, microstructure, and thermopower of highest manganese silicide crystals grown from zinc solution-melt

MnSi1.71–1.75 single crystals are grown using the combination of solidification from solution-melt and the Bridgman crystal growth technique. The single crystals represent tetrahedral bipyramids and correspond to the highest manganese silicide (HMS) modification with lattice parameters a = b = 5.52(1) Å and c = 65.7(8) Å. The thermopower measured between the parallel faces of these single crystals is anomalously high for plain HMS (180–190 μV/K).