Reinvestigation of the thermoelectric properties of Ag8GeTe6

High‐density polycrystalline samples (above 98% of the theoretical density) of Ag₈GeTe₆ were prepared by solid‐state reactions of Ag₂Te, GeTe, and Te, followed by hot‐pressing. The thermoelectric properties were measured at temperatures ranging from room temperature to around 700 K. The thermal conductivity values were extremely low (0.25 Wm^–1 K^–1 at room temperature), and consequently Ag₈GeTe₆ exhibited a relatively high thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT = 0.48 at 703 K. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)