Thermoelectric and Mechanical Properties of Polycrystalline Yttrium-Containing GeTe Alloys

Abstract

The introduction of yttrium (Y) into a germanium telluride (GeTe)-based solid solution is shown to make the material superplastic near polymorphic phase transition temperature TC. This effect makes it possible to increase the mechanical stability of GeTe-based alloys when they work in thermoelements in the thermal cycling mode near TC by the introduction of low Y additions (up to ≈2 at %).