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Experimental evidence of enhancement of thermoelectric properties in tellurium nanoparticle-embedded bismuth antimony telluride

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 August 2012

Sang Il Kim ,
Sungwoo Hwang ,
Jong Wook Roh ,
Kyunghan Ahn ,
Dong-Hee Yeon ,
Kyu Hyoung Lee  and
Sung Wng Kim
Sang Il Kim*
Affiliation:
Advanced Materials Research Center, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, Samsung Electronics, Yong-In, Gyung-gi 446-712, South Korea
Sungwoo Hwang
Affiliation:
Advanced Materials Research Center, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, Samsung Electronics, Yong-In, Gyung-gi 446-712, South Korea
Jong Wook Roh
Affiliation:
Advanced Materials Research Center, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, Samsung Electronics, Yong-In, Gyung-gi 446-712, South Korea
Kyunghan Ahn
Affiliation:
Advanced Materials Research Center, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, Samsung Electronics, Yong-In, Gyung-gi 446-712, South Korea
Dong-Hee Yeon
Affiliation:
Advanced Materials Research Center, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, Samsung Electronics, Yong-In, Gyung-gi 446-712, South Korea
Kyu Hyoung Lee*
Affiliation:
Advanced Materials Research Center, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, Samsung Electronics, Yong-In, Gyung-gi 446-712, South Korea
Sung Wng Kim
Affiliation:
WCU Department of Energy Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Jangan-gu, Suwon 440-746, South Korea
*
a)Address all correspondence to these authors. e-mail: sang.il.kim@samsung.com
b)e-mail: kyuhyoung.lee@samsung.com
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Abstract

We present experimental evidence of enhancement of thermoelectric properties in tellurium (Te) nanoparticle-embedded bismuth antimony telluride (BiSbTe) alloys. Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 films with a high density of Te particles of 10–20 nm size were prepared by growth of alternating multilayers of ultrathin Te and Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3. As the amount of Te nanoinclusions increased up to ∼15%, the Seebeck coefficient and thermoelectric power factor were increased. Based on the concept of band bending at heterointerfaces as a carrier energy filter, the energy relaxation calculation was made to confirm that the Te nanoinclusions result in a carrier energy filtering effect in p-type bismuth antimony telluride. In addition, thermal conductivities were reduced in the Te-embedded samples, permitting possible further enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit. The advantages of Te nanoinclusions in p-type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3alloys on thermoelectric performance are experimentally realized by both electron- and phonon scattering.

Keywords

thermoelectricitythin filmthermal conductivity
Type
Invited Feature Paper
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 27 , Issue 19 , 14 October 2012 , pp. 2449 - 2456
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

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