中文摘要：

回顾了熔融法、固相反应法、机械合金化和放电等离子烧结技术等方钴矿热电材料的制备方法及其特点，重点阐述了在方钴矿化合物中固溶F2，Ni等元素，以及在方钴矿化合物中填充碱土或稀土元素对热电性能的改进；同时介绍了低维化对方钴矿化合物的热电传输特性的影响。提出了优化方钴矿化合物热电性能的途径。

英文摘要：

The synthesis approaches and its characteristic of skutterudite compounds, such as smelting, solid-state reaction, mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering etc were reviewed. In addition, some optimizations and latest progresses to improve the thermoelectric properties of skutterudite compounds, including substitution of Fe, Ni, and alkaline earth or rare earth filling were expounded, and the influences of low dimension on thermoelectric transport mechanism were also introduced. Some detailed investigations to further improve the thermoelectric properties were revealed.