Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-j7khd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-31T06:45:40.632Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Correlation of Microstructural Properties With Thermoelectric Performance of Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 Films Fabricated by Electroplating

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Elena Koukharenko ,
Xiaohong Li ,
Jekaterina Kuleshova ,
Marcel Fowler ,
Nicole Frety ,
John M Tudor ,
Steven P Beeby ,
Iris Nandhakumar  and
Neil M White
Elena Koukharenko
Affiliation:
ak@ecs.soton.ac.uk, University of Southampton, Electronics and Computer Science, Southampton, United Kingdom
Xiaohong Li
Affiliation:
Xh.Li@soton.ac.uk, University of Southampton, Department of Chemistry, Southampton, United Kingdom
Jekaterina Kuleshova
Affiliation:
J.Kuleshova@soton.ac.uk, University of Southampton, School of Chemistry, Southampton, United Kingdom
Marcel Fowler
Affiliation:
mf705@soton.ac.uk, University of Southampton, School of Physics and Astronomy, Southampton, United Kingdom
Nicole Frety
Affiliation:
nfrety@lpmc.univ-montp2.fr, Université Montpellier II, Institut Charles Gerhardt-Equipe PMOF, Montpellier, France
John M Tudor
Affiliation:
mjt@ecs.soton.ac.uk, University of Southampton, School of Electronics and Computer Science, Southampton, United Kingdom
Steven P Beeby
Affiliation:
spb@ecs.soton.ac.uk, University of Southampton, School of Electronics and Computer Science, Southampton, United Kingdom
Iris Nandhakumar
Affiliation:
iris@soton.ac.uk, University of Southampton, School of Chemistry, Southampton, United Kingdom
Neil M White
Affiliation:
nmw@ecs.soton.ac.uk, University of Southampton, School of Electronics and Computer Science, Southampton, United Kingdom
Get access

Abstract

This study shows for the first time, the correlation between the microstructural properties (chemical composition and its homogeneity) and the thermoelectric properties for p-type Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 electroplated films (10-15 μm thickness). High microstructural quality of Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 electroplated films (a close to stoichiometry chemical composition with its high homogeneity elements distribution) was achieved by using an additive in the plating solution (sodium ligninsulfonate) as a surfactant agent. A fine-grained microstructure of 280 nm to 1μm has been observed for these materials, which half that of the plated films without a surfactant. The thermoelectric properties of electrodeposited Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 films obtained without microstructural optimisation, show modest Seebeck coefficient values of 20-120 μm/K, electrodeposited film with an optimised microstructure exhibits very high values of Seebeck coefficient of 220-300 μm/K.

Keywords

thermoelectricadditiveselectrodeposition

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

1 Rowe, D. M. “Handbook of Thermoelectrics”, ed. (CRC, Boca Raton, 1995) p. 701 Google Scholar
2 Xiao, F. Hangarter, C. Yoob, B., Rheem, Y., Lee, K.H. Myung, N. V., Electrochimica Acta 53 8103 (2008).Google Scholar
3 Magri, P. Boulanger, C. and Lecuire, J.M. J. Mater. Chem. 6(5) 773 (1996).Google Scholar
4 Yoo, B.Y. Huang, C.K. Lim, J.R. Herman, J. Ryan, M.A. Fleurial, J.P. and Myungal, N.V. Electrochimica Acta 50 4371 (2005).Google Scholar
5 Frari, D. Del, Diliberto, S. Stein, N. Boulanger, C. Lecuire, J.M. Thin Solid Films 483 44 (2005).Google Scholar
6 Fleurial, J.P. Borshchevsky, A. Ryan, M. A. Phillips, W. M. Snyder, J. G. Caillat, T. Kolawa, E. A. Herman, J. A. Mueller, P. Nicolet, M. in: MRS 1998 Fall Meeting Symp. Proc. 545, eds. Tritt, T.M. Kanatzidis, M.G. Lyon, H.B. and Mahan, G.D. (1998).Google Scholar
7 Fleurial, J.P. Borshchevsky, A. Ryan, M. A. Phillips, W. M. Snyder, J. G. Caillat, T. Kolawa, E.A. Herman, J. A. Mueller, P. Nicolet, M. in: MRS 2000 Spring Meeting Symp. Proc. 626 eds. Tritt, T.M. Nolas, G. S. Mahan, G. Kanatzidis, M. G. Mandrus, D. (2000).Google Scholar
8 Koukharenko, E. Frety, N. Shepelevich, V.G. Tedenac, J.C., Journal of Crystal Growth. 222 (4) 773 (2001).Google Scholar
9 Ivanova, L.D. Brovikova, S.A. Zusmann, G. Rainshaus, P. Inorganic Materials 30 (6) 770 (1994).Google Scholar
10 Li, X. Koukharenko, E. Nandhakumar, I. S. Tudor, J. Beeby, S. P. and White, N. M. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 11 3584 (2009).Google Scholar