Microstructural study of Bi2Te3 material obtained by ultrarapid quenching process route

Bismuth telluride material was fabricated using ultrarapid quenching proces s route, which is unusual to get polycrystalline materials for thermoelectr ic applications. The microstructural study showed that the obtained microst ructures are very different from those obtained by normal cooling, which sh ould induce new physical properties. The ultrarapid quenched material was o btained in the shape of foils, the thickness of which was found to vary in the range of 10-60 mu m, which corresponds to a cooling rate of about 10(6) K/s. Scanning electron microscopy associated with energy-dispersive spectr ometry and X-ray diffraction evidenced a microcrystalline structure of the expected composition with a (0 2 (2) over bar 5) texture. The fine-grained observed microstructure seems promising to improve thermoelectric propertie s and the texture should induce specific material properties. (C) 2000 Else vier Science B.V. All rights reserved.