3D printing of bulk thermoelectric materials: Laser powder bed fusion of N-type silicon germanium

[Display omitted] •N-doped silicon germanium samples of various shapes were produced via laser powder bed fusion for the first time.•Printed parts present great density (>96%).•Thermal induced cracking occurs within samples, which limits carriers transport and therefore TE performances.•First measurement of thermoelectric properties for SiGe materials obtained by additive manufacturing. Among Additive Manufacturing (AM) methods, Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), also called Selective Laser Melting (SLM), is prevalent to printing complex metal parts in small and medium series. Recent studies in L-PBF processing develops the manufacturing of new materials, including thermoelectric (TE) materials. This study presents manufacturing of an N type Si80Ge20 powder by L-PBF. Silicon germanium alloy is a TE material intended for high temperature applications. It is the first time that this semiconductor material is studied by AM technology. Dense samples of various shapes and sizes were produced, and a first process window was identified. Structural analyses have been performed, highlighting good densification. Unfortunately, mechanical cracking occurs in all samples. TE properties were investigated on as built samples, displaying low values (ZT = 0.11 at 600 °C), due to poor electrical conductivity. Overall, these results show that L-PBF of silicon germanium is possible, which could open up its scope of applications. © 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Materials science in semiconductor processing.