Physical properties of the skutterudites (Ce,La)Fe/sub 4-x/Ni/sub x/Sb/sub 12/

We have explained the electrical transport experiments of the solid solution Ce/sub l-z/La/sub z/Fe/sub 4/Sb/sub 12/ with crystal electric field and Kondo effect. We also have shown that the transport and magnetic properties of the solid solutions R/sub y/Fe/sub 4-x/Ni/sub x/Sb/sub 12/ (R = and La) are strongly depending to the charge carrier concentration. At room temperature, the thermopower is essentially due to the transition metal density of states in both the Cc and the La containing compounds. Finally, we have investigated the thermoelectric properties of the solid solution Ce/sub y/Fe/sub 4-x/Ni/sub x/Sb/sub 12/ with y = 4/3-2/spl times//3 for which the best thermoelectric properties were found for y /spl ges/ 0.6 and also for CeFe/sub 4/Sb/sub 12/, at room temperature.