Properties of p- and n-Type PbTe Microwires for Thermoelectric Devices

Abstract

In thermopower measurements, microwires fabricated from as-purchased bulk PbTe exhibits p-type behavior between room temperature and ∼600 K. At higher temperatures, it undergoes majority carrier inversion and exhibits n-type behavior. We report on the preparation and properties of potassium oxide and Zn-doped PbTe microwires, which exhibit stable p- and n-type behavior, respectively, between room temperature and 725 K. Thermoelectric figures of merit (ZT) are reported for device components prepared from bundles of such p- and n-type microwires in a glass matrix.