Thermoelectric properties of Re-Si nanocrystalline composites

In this report the results on the phase formation and transport properties of amorphous and nanocrystalline Re-Si thin film composites are presented. We use the composites as a model material to investigate the effect of a reduced grain size and inter-grain interfaces on the thermoelectric properties. We found that, both, the phase composition and the crystalline grain size appear to be important parameters for thermoelectric material optimisation. The results suggest that the thermoelectric parameters of a nanocrystalline composite can be superior to those of the conventional poly- or single-crystalline material of the same composition.