Effect of antimony concentration on the electrical and thermoelectrical properties of (Bi1-xSbx)(2)Te-3 thin films grown by metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) technique

The electrical and thermoelectrical performances of p-type (Bi1 - xSbx)(2)T e-3 elaborated by metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) in horiz ontal quartz reactor on pyrex substrate are discussed. The quality of the d eposition layers is controlled by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron micr oscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Hall effect me asurements are used to determine resistivity and holes mobility. It is foun d that the electrical properties of thin films depend strongly on growth pa rameters and exhibit a polycrystalline structure. The measurement of Seebec k coefficient (S = 235 mu V/K) and the resistivity (rho = 15 mu Omega m) le ads us to confirm the significant potential of the MOCVD method to produce a good material promising for thermoelectric application. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.