Thermoelectric properties of indium-doped zinc oxide sintered in an argon atmosphere

Solid-state reaction (SSR) was used to synthesize samples of (Zn 1–x In x )O, with x = 0.05, 0.02, 0.01, 0.005 and 0.00 respectively. All compositions were sintered in an argon atmosphere and their thermoelectric properties, phase constituents, and microstructures were investigated. Single-phase ceramic was formed for each composition with dense microstructure. In 3+ doping lowered the electrical resistivity of ZnO and in the present study, lower value of electrical resistivity ρ ~ 1.884 mΩ·cm and highest power factor ( P.F ) ~ 4.660 × 10 −4 WK −2 m −1 at 693.4 °C respectively are obtained for the composition with x = 0.02. The electrical resistivities (ρ) of all compositions were regulated. The tuned and regulated ( ρ ) are expected to be helpful for future thermoelectric devices.