Thermoelectric Properties of Bismuth-Antimony Thin Films.

摘要

Thermoelectrics have a wide range of potential applications in the temperature range of 0 exp 0 to 100 exp 0 C. In an effort to enhance the feasibility of thermoelectrics, we have begun investigation of potentially cheaper materials and cheaper techniques for thermoelectrics. Two features of bismuth and antimony have influenced our work. First, Horst and Williams have reported quite respectable figure of merit values in bulk single crystals of bismuth-antimony, up to 2.5 x 10 exp -3 at room temperature. Second, bismuth and antimony are an order of magnitude cheaper in cost compared to selenium and tellurium, making this binary alloy a natural candidate to reduce the cost of thermoelectric devices. Our avenue of approach involves a simplification of the fabrication process using an established technique of solid-state electronics: thin-film deposition. We have recently begun to investigate the extent to which the favorable properties of bulk Bi-Sb are preserved in thin films. Some of the preliminary data coming out of this ongoing investigation are reported. (ERA citation 05:036798)