Über Kristallstruktur und elektrische Eigenschaften der Wismutselenide Bi₂Se₂ und Bi₂Se₃

Abstract

The properties of bismuth triselenide (Bi₂Se₃) are already known to a certain extent through the work of several authors, while it was still an open question whether there exists an individual solid phase of BiSe.

Further information on this subject could be obtained by the successful growth and investigation of single crystals of both Bi₂Se₃ and Bi₂Se₂. X-ray analysis by means of goniometry, Weißenberg, Laue, and Debye-Scherrer diagrams confirmed the known crystal structure of Bi₂Se₃ (ditrigonal scalenohedral;D ⁵_3d −R—m; with the hexagonal axes:a=4·15 Å andc=28·55 Å, and 3 molecules per unit cell). As to Bi₂Se₂ it can be shown that it belongs to the same class but to a different space group (D ¹_3d −P— 1m orD ³_3d −P—m 1; hexagonal axes:a=4·15 Å,c=22·84 Å, unit cell: 3 molecules, if the formula Bi₂Se₂ is adopted). Common to both is a subcell with the dimensions:a′=a=4·15 Å andc′=5·71 Å.

The temperature dependence of electrical conductivity and Hall coefficient was measured on several specimens having different crystal orientations. The most striking difference is the high anisotropy of Bi₂Se₃ (σ _a σ _c =10) as compared with Bi₂Se₂ (σ _a /σ _c <2). All specimens turned out to ben-type. The room temperature carrier concentration observed was:n (Bi₂Se3)=8·10¹⁸ cm⁻³ andn (Bi₂Se₂)=4·10²⁰ cm⁻³, the carrier mobility:μ(Bi₂Se3)=2·10³ cm²/V·s andμ(Bi₂Se₃)=20 cm²/V·s.