Enhanced thermoelectric performance of Mg2Si0.4Sn0.6 solid solutions by in nanostructures and minute Bi-doping

n-type Mg2(Si0.4Sn0.6)Bix (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.04) solid solutions with minute amounts of Bi were prepared by induction melting, melt spinning (MS), and spark plasma sintering (SPS) method, namely the non-equilibrium technique MS-SPS, using bulks of Mg, Si, Sn, Bi as raw materials; the phase components, microstructures as well as the thermoelectric properties were systematically investigated. The multiple localized nanostructures within the matrix containing nanoscale precipitates and mesoscale grains were formed, resulting in remarkably decreasing of lattice thermal conductivities, particularly for samples with the nanoscale precipitates having the size of 10–20 nm. Meanwhile, the electrical resistivity was reduced and the Seebeck coefficient was increased by Bi-doping, causing improved electrical performance for the Mg2(Si0.4Sn0.6)Bix (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.04) compounds. The dimensionless figure of merit ZT was significantly improved and the maximum value reaches 1.20 at 573 K for the Mg2(Si0.4Sn0.6)Bi0.03 sample, greatly higher than that of the non-doped samples.