Enhancing the Figure of Merit of Heavy‐Band Thermoelectric Materials Through Hierarchical Phonon Scattering

Hierarchical scattering is suggested as an effective strategy to enhance the figure of merit zT of heavy-band thermoelectric materials. Heavy-band FeNbSb half-Heusler system with intrinsically low carrier mean free path is demonstrated as a paradigm. An enhanced zT of 1.34 is obtained at 1150 K for the Fe1.05Nb0.75Ti0.25Sb compound with intentionally designed hierarchical scattering centers.