Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties Obtained by Compositional Optimization in p-Type Bi x Sb2−x Te3 Fabricated by Mechanical Alloying and Spark Plasma Sintering

  • Published:
Journal of Electronic Materials Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Bi x Sb2−x Te3 bulk alloys are known as the best p-type thermoelectric materials near room temperature. In this work, single-phase Bi x Sb2−x Te3 (x = 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.34, 0.38, 0.42, 0.46, and 0.5) alloys were prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) using mechanical alloying (MA)-derived powders. A small amount (0.1 vol.%) of SiC nanoparticles was added to improve the mechanical properties and to reduce the thermal conductivity of the alloys. The electrical resistivity decreases significantly with increasing ratio of Sb to Bi in spite of the weaker decreasing trend in Seebeck coefficient, whereby the power factor at 323 K reaches 3.14 × 10−3 W/mK2 for a sample with x = 0.3, obviously higher than that at x = 0.5 (2.27 × 10−3 W/mK2), a composition commonly used for ingots. Higher thermal conductivities at low temperatures are obtained at the compositions with lower x values, but they tend to decrease with temperature. As a result, higher ZT values are obtained for Bi0.3Sb1.7Te3, with a maximum ZT value of 1.23 at 423 K, about twice the ZT value (about 0.6) of Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 at the same temperature.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. L.E. Bell, Science 321, 1457 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. B. Poudel, Q. Hao, Y. Ma, Y.C. Lan, A. Minnich, B. Yu, X. Yan, D.Z. Wang, A. Muto, D. Vashaee, X.Y. Chen, J.M. Liu, M.S. Dresselhaus, G. Chen, and Z. Ren, Science 320, 634 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. J.R. Sootsman, D.Y. Chung, and M.G. Kanatzidis, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 48, 8616 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. G. Chen, M.S. Dresselhaus, G. Dresselhaus, J.P. Fleurial, and T. Caillat, Int. Mater. Rev. 48, 45 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. D.M. Rowe, Thermoelectrics Handbook (Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2006).

    Google Scholar 

  6. L.D. Zhao, B.P. Zhang, J.F. Li, H.L. Zhang, and W.S. Liu, Solid State Sci. 10, 651 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. T.S. Oh, D.B. Hyun, and N.V. Kolomoets, Scripta Mater. 42, 849 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. S.S. Kim, S. Yamamoto, and T. Aizawa, J. Alloys Compd. 375, 107 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. W.J. Xie, X.F. Tang, Y.G. Yan, Q.J. Zhang, and T.M. Tritt, J. Appl. Phys. 105, 113713 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Y.Q. Cao, T.J. Zhu, X.B. Zhao, X.B. Zhang, and J.P. Tu, Appl. Phys. A 92, 321 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. D. Lee, C. Lim, D. Cho, Y. Lee, and C. Lee, J. Electron. Mater. 35, 360 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. L.D. Zhao, B.P. Zhang, J.F. Li, M. Zhou, W.S. Liu, and J. Liu, J. Alloys Compd. 455, 259 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. L.D. Zhao, B.P. Zhang, J.F. Li, M. Zhou, and W.S. Liu, Physica B 400, 11 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. J.F. Li and J. Liu, Phys. Status Solidi A 203, 3768 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. L.D. Zhao, B.P. Zhang, W.S. Liu, H.L. Zhang, and J.F. Li, J. Alloys Compd. 467, 91 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. C.N. Liao and L.C. Wu, Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 052112 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. C.N. Liao, L.C. Wu, and J.S. Lee, J. Alloys Compd. 490, 468 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Y.C. Lan, B. Poudel, Y. Ma, D.Z. Wang, M.S. Dresselhaus, G. Chen, and Z.F. Ren, Nano Lett. 9, 1419 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Chen Chen, Da-Wei Liu & Jing-Feng Li

  2. Beijing Key Laboratory of New Energy Materials and Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China

    Chen Chen & Bo-Ping Zhang

Authors
  1. Chen Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Da-Wei Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Bo-Ping Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jing-Feng Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jing-Feng Li.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chen, C., Liu, DW., Zhang, BP. et al. Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties Obtained by Compositional Optimization in p-Type Bi x Sb2−x Te3 Fabricated by Mechanical Alloying and Spark Plasma Sintering. J. Electron. Mater. 40, 942–947 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-010-1463-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-010-1463-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation