Inventors have discovered a way to prepare numerous skutterudite compounds which cannot be readily prepared using conventional solid state chemistry synthesis. This invention avoids the limitations of conventional synthesis (chiefly high temperatures and slow diffusion rates) by using a multilayer precursor technique which allows the diffusion rate to be controlled.
This technique yields research quantities of high-quality samples in a fraction of the time required in conventional methods and therefore is ideal for rapidly preparing a wide variety of compositions for testing. Using this technique, the inventors have discovered multiple new compositions suitable for device applications. The immediate interest for the invention is in the preparation of highly efficient thermoelectric compounds.
U.S. Patent No. 5,994,639