Thermoelectric characteristics of Sb sub(2)Te sub(3) thin films formed viasurfactant-assisted electrodeposition

• Published in: Journal of materials chemistry. A, Materials for energy and sustainability Vol. 1; no. 17; pp. 5430 - 5435
• Main Authors: Yoo, In-Joon, Song, Youngsup, Chan Lim, Dong, Myung, Nosang V, Lee, Kyu Hyoung, Oh, Minju, Lee, Dongyun, Kim, Yang Do, Kim, Seil, Choa, Yong-Ho, Lee, Joo Yul, Lee, Kyu Hwan, Lim, Jae-Hong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.04.2013
• Subjects: Density; Dispersions; Filtering; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanostructure; Sustainability; Thermoelectricity; Thin films
• ISSN: 2050-7488; 2050-7496
• DOI: 10.1039/c3ta01631e

In this study, Sb sub(2)Te sub(3) films were electrodeposited potentiostatically at room temperature from acidic nitric baths in the presence of a surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). This resulted in improvements in the surface morphologies of the films. The thus-deposited films also exhibited better adherence to their substrates. In addition, the carrier transport properties of the Sb sub(2)Te sub(3) films, including their electrical conductivities and Seebeck coefficient values, could be improved by annealing them at 200 degree C. This was due to the formation of Te nanodots in the Sb sub(2)Te sub(3) matrix. The resulting Sb sub(2)Te sub(3) films with Te nanodots 10-20 nm in size and a dispersion density of 11.4 vol% exhibited a high power factor of 716.0 mu W m super(-1) K super(-2), which was about two times higher than that of Sb sub(2)Te sub(3) films that did not contain Te nanodots. The results of the study suggested that the improvements in the thermoelectric characteristics of the films were due to carrier energy filtering at the Te-Sb sub(2)Te sub(3) interface.