METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING NANOCOMPOSITE THERMOELECTRIC CONVERSION MATERIAL

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for manufacturing a nanocomposite thermoelectric conversion material by securing phonon scattering particles in nano size without complicated processes.SOLUTION: A method for manufacturing a nanocomposite thermoelectric conversion material having nano-sized phonon scattering particles dispersed in a thermoelectric conversion material matrix, comprises: a process of forming oxide particles as nano-sized phonon scattering particles by oxidizing part of an element most oxidizable among respective elements through hydrothermal treatment of mixture of nano particles of the respective elements composing the thermoelectric conversion material in an oxidizing atmosphere, and concurrently forming a thermoelectric conversion material matrix by alloying the remaining part of the element most oxidizable and other elements; and a process of sintering the obtained mixture of the thermoelectric conversion material matrix and the oxide particles. In accordance with the present invention, the composition of the thermoelectric conversion material matrix can be varied in the solid solution composition range.