Thermoelectric properties of group VI metal silicide semiconductors

The electrical and thermoelectric properties of group VI metal silicides, such as the Mo- and W-silicides as well as CrSi2, were investigated. The electronic band structures of the hexagonal- MoSi2, - WSi2 and CrSi2, were calculated using the first-principles total-energy calculation program in pseudopotential schemes with plane-wave basis functions, and their Seebeck coefficients were also calculated. In addition, the Mo- and W-silicides were synthesized using mechanical alloying followed by a spark plasma sintering technique, and their structural, electric and thermoelectric properties were examined.