Reversible Room Temperature Brittle‐Plastic Transition in Ag2Te0.6S0.4 Inorganic Thermoelectric Semiconductor

• Published in: Advanced functional materials Vol. 33; no. 26
• Main Authors: Wang, Yuechu, Li, Airan, Hu, Huiping, Fu, Chenguang, Zhu, Tiejun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 26.06.2023
• Subjects: Brittleness; Compressive properties; Ductile-brittle transition; Electronics; Flexible components; Formability; Heat treatment; Materials science; Mechanical properties; Plastic properties; plastic semiconductors; Room temperature; silver chalcogenides; Solid phases; thermoelectric materials; thermoelectric performance; Thermoelectricity
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202300189

Inorganic semiconductors with superior plasticity are highly desired in current flexible electronics, which however are rarely discovered owing to their intrinsic covalent and ionic bonds. The Ag2Te0.6S0.4 semiconductor with an amorphous phase has recently been reported to exhibit plastic deformability. In this study, the reversible brittle‐plastic transition is found in this inorganic semiconductor, and the plasticity of the Ag2Te0.6S0.4 sample is highly related to the phase structures. The Ag2Te0.6S0.4 with a monoclinic phase exhibits a brittle behavior, while the one with cubic‐crystalline/amorphous structure shows exceptional plasticity with a compressive strain of over 80%. Significantly, the reversible plastic‐brittle transition in Ag2Te0.6S0.4 inorganic semiconductor can be achieved by simple heat treatment. Besides the plasticity, the cubic‐crystalline/amorphous Ag2Te0.6S0.4 composites also possess good thermoelectric performance. This study uncovers the influence of phase structure on the mechanical properties of Ag2Te0.6S0.4 and realizes the reversible brittle‐plastic transition, facilitating its prospective application in flexible/wearable electronics. The reversible room temperature brittle‐plastic transition is found in the inorganic semiconductor Ag2Te0.6S0.4. The relationship between structures and plasticity is elaborated, and the way to regulate its plasticity is demonstrated. The combination of superb plasticity (a compressive strain of 80%) and good thermoelectric performance make cubic‐crystalline/amorphous Ag2Te0.6S0.4 composite a promising candidate for powering flexible/wearable devices.