N-TYPE THERMOELECTRIC CONVERSION MATERIAL AND THERMOELECTRIC CONVERSION ELEMENT

To provide an n-type thermoelectric conversion material having an excellent thermoelectric conversion performance.SOLUTION: In an n-type thermoelectric conversion material of the present invention, a sulfide having an n-type thermoelectric conversion characteristic is included as a base material, and it is expressed by (a) a composition where, in a composition formula expressing an element ratio of the base material, the ratio of at least one base material structure element excluding sulfur is reduced, and the ratio of a typical metal element (however, the base material construction element is excluded) is increased by the substantially same amount of the ratio to be reduced, and/or (b) a composition where, in the composition formula expressing the element ratio of the base material, the ratio of at least one base material structure element excluding sulfur is reduced, and the ratio of the typical metal element (however, the base material structure element is excluded) is increased so as to maintain a crystal electrical neutrality of the base material. The n-type thermoelectric conversion material contains 3 mol% or more of the typical metal element in full of a sulfide composition.SELECTED DRAWING: None 【課題】優れた熱電変換性能を有するｎ型熱電変換材料を提供する。【解決手段】本発明のｎ型熱電変換材料は、ｎ型熱電変換特性を有する硫化物を母材とし、（ａ）前記母材の元素割合を表す組成式において、硫黄を除く少なくとも１つの母材構成元素の割合を減らし、かつ減らした割合と実質的に同じ分だけ典型金属元素（ただし、前記母材構成元素を除く）の割合を増やした組成、及び／又は、（ｂ）前記母材の元素割合を表す組成式において、硫黄を除く少なくとも１つの母材構成元素の割合を減らし、かつ前記母材の結晶の電気的中性を保つように典型金属元素（ただし、前記母材構成元素を除く）の割合を増やした組成、で表される。本発明のｎ型熱電変換材料は、前記典型金属元素を硫化物組成全体の３モル％以上含む。【選択図】なし