Abstract
We have fabricated and studied the structural, magnetic, and transport properties of filled skutterudites of the form with 0< <1 and =3.25 and 4. For samples containing 100% Co, Ce can be inserted into approximately 10% of the voids in the skutterudite structure. It is shown that the rare earth is trivalent and dopes the host Co -type. With substitution of Fe for Co the void occupancy by Ce increases. The thermal conductivity is strongly depressed even at small (5%) rare-earth filling fractions, and is further degraded by substitution of Fe for Co. Although the electron mobility in -type samples is smaller than the hole mobility in -type samples, due to their large electron masses the Seebeck coefficient in -type material maintains large values at high electron concentrations.
- Received 20 May 1997
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.56.7376
©1997 American Physical Society