The GeTe-SnTe-Bi2Te3 system is of great interest due to the potential formation of a series of cation-substituted solid solutions based on ternary layered compounds with a tetradymite-type structure, which have significant potential as valuable thermoelectric materials and topological insulators. This study presents the results of investigating this system in the composition range of GeBi2Te4-SnBi2Te4-Bi2Te3 using powder X-ray diffraction analysis. Particular attention is given to obtaining equilibrium alloys. An isothermal section of the phase diagram at 300 K has been constructed, consisting of four single-phase regions separated by three two-phase regions. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the equilibrium alloys were refined using the Rietveld method. The obtained diffraction results clearly indicate the presence of continuous series of solid solutions along the sections GeBi2Te4-SnBi2Te4, GeBi4Te7-SnBi4Te7, and GeBi6Te10-SnBi6Te10. The lattice parameters for all the solid solution series were determined, showing a linear increase with the rise in Sn concentration.
Read full abstract