Electrical resistivity and thermoelectric power of polycrystalline and amorphous Se-Te-Cu system

Abstract

The dark electrical resistivity and thermoelectric power have been measured for the bulk ternary alloy Se-Te-Cu. The samples were both polycrystalline and amorphous in structure. The measurements were carried out below room temperature. Depending on Cu addition, crystallographic structure, and amorphous or polycrystalline state, the samples manifested semiconducting or metallic behaviour. The maximum difference in electrical resistivity magnitude was of 14 orders. The activation energy Δ E of charge carriers determined for all semiconducting samples ranged from 0.07 to 0.25 eV. An increase in thermoelectric power resulting from the electron–phonon mass enhancement was estimated.