Thermal Conductivity of Exfoliated p-Type Bismuth Antimony Telluride

Abstract

A bulk p-type thermoelectric compound with nominal composition Bi0.5Sb1.5 Te3 has been exfoliated using dimethyl sulfoxide as a solvent. Samples have been prepared from the exfoliated platelets by pressing followed by sintering or hot pressing. The exfoliated nanoplatelets have been characterized for size distribution and composition using scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectrometry. The smallest size platelet was 40 nm, and the maximum in the size distribution was near 80 nm. The exfoliated platelets and sintered sample showed significant deficiency in Sb and Te. The nonstoichiometry in the composition of the exfoliated platelets indicates that the mechanism of exfoliation may not be between quintuplets only, with other layers also being active. The composition of the hot-pressed sample remained closer to that of the bulk. Results of x-ray diffraction indicated the presence of Bi2Te3 and Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 phases and pure Te and Sb. Residual porosity was observed in the hot-pressed and sintered samples. The thermal conductivity of the samples was measured by transient thermoreflectance. The results showed that the thermal conductivity of the hot-pressed sample was reduced by a factor of two compared with that of the bulk as a result of the presence of a high density of interfaces and residual porosity. The thermal conductivity of the sintered sample showed an increase above that of the bulk sample, which is explained by the change in composition due to loss of Sb and Te.