Chalcopyrite ZnSnSb: A Promising Thermoelectric Material.

Ternary compounds with a tetragonal chalcopyrite structure, such as CuGaTe, are promising thermoelectric (TE) materials. It has been demonstrated in various chalcopyrite systems, including compounds with quaternary chalcopyrite-like structures, that the lattice parameter ratio, c/ a, being exactly 2.00 to have a pseudo-cubic structure is key to increase the degeneracy at the valence band edge and ultimately achieve high TE performance.