• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.292-296
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• 2006

Effects of rapid thermal annealing of bismuth telluride thin films on their thermoelectric properties were investigated. Films with four different compositions were elaborated by co-sputtering of Bi and Te targets. Rapid thermal treatments in range of $300{\sim}400^{\circ}C$ were carried out during 10 minutes under the reducing atmosphere (Ar with 10% $H_2$). As the temperature of thermal treatment increased, carrier concentrations of films decreased while their mobilities increased. These changes were clearly observed for the films close to the stoichiometric composition. Rapid thermal treatment was found to be effective in improving the thermoelectric properties of $Bi_2Te_3$ films. Recrystallization of $Bi_2Te_3$ phase has caused the enhancement of thermoelectric properties, along with the decrease of the carrier concentration. Maximum values of Seebeck coefficient and power factor were obtained for the films treated at $400^{\circ}C$ (about $-128{\mu}V/K$ and $9{\times}10^{-4}\;W/K^2m$, respectively). With further higher temperature ($500^{\circ}C$), thermoelectric properties deteriorated due to the evaporation of Te element and subsequent disruption of film's structure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.304.2-304.2
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• 2014

Chalcogenides (Te,Se) and pnictogens(Bi,Sb) materials have been widely investigated as thermoelectric materials. Especially, Bi2Te3 (Bismuth telluride) compound thermoelectric materials in thin film and nanowires are known to have the highest thermoelectric figure of merit ZT at room temperature. Currently, the thermoelectric material research is mostly driven in two directions: (1) enhancing the Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity using quantum confinement effects and (2) decreasing thermal conductivity using phonon scattering effect. Herein we demonstrated influence of annealing temperature on structural and thermoelectrical properties of Bismuth-telluride-selenide ternary compound thin film. Te-rich Bismuth-telluride-selenide ternary compound thin film prepared co-deposited by thermal evaporation techniques. After annealing treatment, co-deposited thin film was transformed amorphous phase to Bi2Te3-Bi2Te2Se1 polycrystalline thin film. In the experiment, to investigate the structural and thermoelectric characteristics of Bi2Te3-i2Te2Se1 films, we measured Rutherford Backscattering spectrometry (RBS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Scanning eletron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Seebeck coefficient measurement and Hall measurement. After annealing treatment, electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient was increased by defect states dominated by selenium vacant sites. These charged selenium vacancies behave as electron donors, resulting in carrier concentration was increased. Moreover, Thermal conductivity was significantly decreased because phonon scattering was enhanced through the grain boundary in Bi2Te3-Bi2Te2Se1 polycrystalline compound. As a result, The enhancement of thermoelectric figure-of-merit could be obtained by optimal annealing treatment.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.280-284
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• 2012

Bismuth antimony telluride (BiSbTe) thermoelectric materials were successfully prepared by a spark plasma sintering process. Crystalline BiSbTe ingots were crushed into small pieces and then attrition milled into fine powders of about 300 nm ~ 2${\mu}m$ size under argon gas. Spark plasma sintering was applied on the BiSbTe powders at 240, 320, and $380^{\circ}C$, respectively, under a pressure of 40 MPa in vacuum. The heating rate was $50^{\circ}C$/min and the holding time at the sintering temperature was 10 min. At all sintering temperatures, high density bulk BiSbTe was successfully obtained. The XRD patterns verify that all samples were well matched with the $Bi_{0.5}Sb_{1.5}Te_{3}$. Seebeck coefficient (S), electric conductivity (${\sigma}$) and thermal conductivity (k) were evaluated in a temperature range of $25{\sim}300^{\circ}C$. The thermoelectric properties of BiSbTe were evaluated by the thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT (ZT = $S^2{\sigma}T$/k). The grain size and electric conductivity of sintered BiSbTe increased as the sintering temperature increased but the thermal conductivity was similar at all sintering temperatures. Grain growth reduced the carrier concentration, because grain growth reduced the grain boundaries, which serve as acceptors. Meanwhile, the carrier mobility was greatly increased and the electric conductivity was also improved. Consequentially, the grains grew with increasing sintering temperature and the figure of merit was improved.

• Electrical & Electronic Materials
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.10-17
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• 2011

현재 개발 중인 Chalcogenide계 열전재료 중에서, 이방성 재료인 Thallium chalcogenide, Alkalimetal bismuth chalcogenide, Bismuth telluride와 등방성 재료인 Lead telluride, Silver antimony telluride, TAGS, LAST 및 SALT를 소개하였고, 이 재료들에 대한 연구 동향을 살펴보았다. Chalcogenide는 S, Se, Te 및 다른 원소와의 다양한 조합에 의해, 넓은 온도범위에서 열전재료로 응용하기 위한 밴드갭 에너지의 조절이 가능하다. 또한 합성공정에 따른 상변태, 석출 등 구조변화에 따른 열전특성의 변화를 기대할 수 있어 열전재료 개발 초기부터 활발한 연구가 진행되어 왔다. 과거의 전통적인 Chalcogenide계 열전재료뿐만 아니라, Chalcogenide계 열전 신소재에 대해서도 살펴보았다. Chalcogenide는 전자적, 광학적, 열적 성질 등 특성이 독특하고 변화가 무궁무진하여 아주 매력적이기 때문에, 앞으로도 계속 열전재료로서 각광받는 물질군으로 판단된다. 그림 11에 현재까지 ZT의 최댓값이 1이 넘는다고 보고된 열전재료의 성능지수를 요약하였다.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.136-141
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• 2010

Bismuth-telluride based $(Bi_{0.2}Sb_{0.8})_2Te_3$ thermoelectric powders were fabricated by two-step planetary milling process which produces bimodal size distribution ranging $400\;nm\;{\sim}\;2\;{\mu}m$. The powders were reduced in hydrogen atmosphere to minimize oxygen contents which cause degradation of thermoelectric performance by decreasing electrical conductivity. Oxygen contents were decreased from 0.48% to 0.25% by the reduction process. In this study, both the as-synthesized and the reduced powders were consolidated by the spark plasma sintering process at $350^{\circ}C$ for 10 min at the heating rate of $100^{\circ}C/min$ and then their thermoelectric properties were investigated. The sintered samples using the reduced p-type thermoelectric powders show 15% lower specific electrical resistivity ($0.8\;m{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$) than those of the as-synthesized powders while Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity do not change a lot. The results confirmed that ZT value of thermoelectric performance at room temperature was improved by 15% due to high electric conductivity caused by the controlled oxygen contents present at bismuth telluride materials.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.318-323
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• 2023

The thermoelectric effect, which converts waste heat into electricity, holds promise as a renewable energy technology. Recently, bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3)-based alloys are being recognized as important materials for practical applications in the temperature range from room temperature to 500 K. However, conventional sintering processes impose limitations on shape-changeable and tailorable Bi₂Te₃ materials. To overcome these issues, three-dimensional (3D) printing (additive manufacturing) is being adopted. Although some research results have been reported, relatively few studies on 3D printed thermoelectric materials are being carried out. In this study, we utilize extrusion 3D printing to manufacture n-type Bi_1.7Sb_0.3Te₃ (N-BST). The ink is produced without using organic binders, which could negatively influence its thermoelectric properties. Furthermore, we introduce graphene oxide (GO) at the crystal interface to enhance the electrical properties. The formed N-BST composites exhibit significantly improved electrical conductivity and a higher Seebeck coefficient as the GO content increases. Therefore, we propose that the combination of the extrusion 3D printing process (Direct Ink Writing, DIW) and the incorporation of GO into N-BST offers a convenient and effective approach for achieving higher thermoelectric efficiency.

• Ceramist
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.32-40
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• 2012

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.215-221
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• 2005

Thermoelectric bismuth telluride thin films were prepared on $SiO_{2}$/Si substrate with co-sputtering of bismuth and tellurium targets. The effects of deposition temperature on surface morphology, crystallinity and electrical transport properties were investigated. Hexagonal crystallites were clearly visible at the surface of films deposited above $290 ^{\circ}C$. Change of dominant phase from rhombohedral $Bi_2Te_3$ to hexagonal BiTe was confirmed with X-ray diffraction analysis. The deviation from stoichiometric composition at high deposition temperature resulted in the change of structural and electrical characteristics. Seebeck coefficients of all samples have negative value, indicating the prepared $Bi_XTe_Y$ films are n-type thermoelectric. Optimum of Seebeck coefficient and power factor were obtained at the deposition temperature of $225 \^{circ}$C (about -55 $\mu$V/K and $3\times10^{-4}$ W/$k^{2}$m, respectively). Deterioration of thermoelectric properties at higher temperature.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.345-349
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• 2013

Carbon nanotube-dispersed bismuth telluride matrix (CNT/$Bi_2Te_3$) nanopowders were synthesized by chemical routes followed by a ball-milling process. The microstructures of the synthesized CNT/$Bi_2Te_3$ nanopowders showed the characteristic microstructure of CNTs dispersed among disc-shaped $Bi_2Te_3$ nanopowders with as an average size of 500 nm in-plane and a few tens of nm in thickness. The prepared nanopowders were sintered into composites with a homogeneous dispersion of CNTs in a $Bi_2Te_3$ matrix. The dimensionless figure-of-merit of the composite showed an enhanced value compared to that of pure $Bi_2Te_3$ at the room temperature due to the reduced thermal conductivity and increased electrical conductivity with the addition of CNTs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.450.1-450.1
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• 2014

열에너지를 전기에너지로 변환하거나 또는 전기에너지를 열에너지로 직접 변환하는 열전 변환 기술이 주목받고 있다. 열전 변환 효율은 성능지수($ZT={\alpha}^2{\sigma}T{\kappa}^{-1}$)로 평가되며, 여기서 ${\alpha}$, ${\sigma}$, ${\kappa}$, T는 각각 열전재료의 제벡계수, 전기전도도, 열전도도 및 절대온도이다. 따라서 우수한 열전재료는 높은 제벡계수와 전기전도도 그리고 낮은 열전도도를 가져야 한다. Bismuth telluride는 상온영역에서 성능지수가 높은 재료로서, $Bi_2Te_3$에 $Bi_2Se_3$와 고용체를 형성하면 원자의 치환으로 포논산란에 의해 열전도도가 낮아지고, 도핑으로 전기적 특성을 조절하여 성능지수를 향상시킬 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 진공밀폐 용해법으로 $Bi_2Te_{2.85}Se_{0.15}:I_m$ (m=0.0~0.045) 고용체를 합성하여 상분석을 실시하고, 전자 이동특성 및 열전 특성을 평가하였다.