Synthesis and Electronic Transport Properties of Sn-Doped CoSb₃

Sn-doped CoSb3 skutterudites were prepared by encapsulated induction melting and their electronic transport properties were examined. The Sn dopant generated excess charge carriers, which increased in concentration with increasing Sn doping content. However, the carrier mobility decreased with increasing doping content, indicating a decrease in the hole mean free path by impurity scattering. The Seebeck coefficient decreased and the electrical resistivity decreased slightly with increasing the carrier concentration due to the reduced carrier mobility by impurity scattering. The lattice thermal conductivity was dominant in the Sn-doped CoSb3 skutterudites.