Anisotropic layered high-temperature thermoelectric materials based on the two-phase CrSi$_2$-$\beta$-FeSi$_2$ system

The feasibility of synthesizing a wide spectrum of multiphase microstructurally ordered high-temperature thermoelectrics with highly anisotropic thermoelectric parameters is demonstrated with an aluminum-doped CrSi$_2$-$\beta$-FeSi$_2$ system the composition of which varies from Cr$_{0.1}$Fe$_{0.9}$Si$_{(2-x)}$Al$_x$ to Cr$_{0.9}$Fe$_{0.1}$Si$_{(2-x)}$Al$_x$ ($x$ = 0.0 – 0.4). Doping of either phase (CrSi$_2$ and $\beta$-FeSi$_2$) is viewed as a promising way for synthesizing $n$- and $p$-type domains inside the same sample.