Thermoelectric properties of n-type bismuth telluride based alloys prepared by hot pressing and zone melting method

Abstract

Alloys of Bi2Te3 rich side of Bi2Te3-Bi2Se3 were prepared by the zone melting method and the hot pressing method in order to compare their thermoelectric proper-ties. Thermoelectric properties of zone melted ingot were largely affected by dopant when the ingot composition is fixed, whereas thermoelectric properties of hot pressed material were mainly related with the variation of the carrier concentrations caused by the generation of electrically active defects from many sources. When specimens were hot pressed thermoelectric properties changed as a function of particle size, pressing time and hot pressing temperature. The reasons for the variation of the thermoelectric properties were investigated by examining influences of following parameters; oxidation, mechanical deformation during pulverization and the hot pressing temperature. Defects induced by the mechanical deformation and oxygen causes generation of donors. Defect concentration is also altered with different hot pressing temperatures depending on the amount of previously received mechanical deformation.