Effect of heat treatment on the structure and the thermoelectric properties of Sb0.9Bi1.1Te2.9Se0.1 thin films and composites based on them

Abstract

This work considers the effect of vacuum annealing on the thermoelectric properties of Sb0.9Bi1.1Te2.9Se0.1 thin film and Sb0.9Bi1.1Te2.9Se0.1–C composites with various carbon contents produced by ion-beam deposition in an argon atmosphere. The electrical resistivity and the thermopower of Sb0.9Bi1.1Te2.9Se0.1–C nanocomposites are found to be dependent on not only the carbon concentration but also the type and the concentration of intrinsic point defects of the Sb0.9Bi1.1Te2.9Se0.1 solid solution, which determine the type of conductivity of Sb0.9Bi1.1Te2.9Se0.1 granules. The power factors are estimated for films of Sb0.9Bi1.1Te2.9Se0.1 solid solution and films of Sb0.9Bi1.1Te2.9Se0.1–C composites and found to have values comparable with the values for nanostructured materials on the basis of (Bi,Sb)2(Te,Se)3 solid solutions.