Microstructure evolution and thermoelectric properties of Te-poor and Te-rich (Bi,Sb)₂Te₃ prepared via solidification

Abstract

This paper explores in detail, the microstructures and thermoelectric properties of Te-rich and Te-poor (Bi,Sb)2Te3 alloys. We show that tuning the composition of ternary Bi–Sb–Te type alloys allows us to synthesize a range of microstructures containing a primary solid solution of (Bi,Sb)₂Te₃ with varying amounts of Te solid solution or a (Bi,Sb)Te compound. Te exists as a constituent of the multilayer domain while (Bi,Sb)Te appears in the thin intercellular regions of the (Bi,Sb)₂Te₃ dendritic cells. The presence of Te imparts an n-type behavior to the composite while the (Bi,Sb)₂Te₃ with a small amount of (Bi,Sb)Te exhibits p-type properties. A maximum ZT value of ≈0.4 at 425 K was achieved, opening up the possibility of using these alloys for thermoelectric device applications.