Structural and Thermoelectric Properties of Bi1−x Sb x Nanoalloys Prepared by Mechanical Alloying

Bi_1?x Sb _x nanoparticles were prepared by mechanical alloying and compacted using different techniques. The influence of the composition as well as the pressing conditions on the thermoelectric performance was investigated. A strong dependence of the thermoelectric properties on the composition was found, which deviates from the behavior of single crystals. The results indicate a significant change in the band structure of the material induced by the reduced size. The influence of the pressing conditions on the thermoelectric properties also showed composition dependence. The results show that the compacting method has to be chosen carefully.     

Thermoelectric Properties of Nanostructured Bismuth-Doped Lead Telluride Bi x (PbTe)1−x Prepared by Co-Ball-Milling

In this work we present a simple method to synthesize nanostructured, bismuth-doped lead telluride by co-ball-milling. The obtained nanopowders were compacted via either a cold pressing/annealing approach or by hot pressing. The two compacting methods were compared regarding sample density. Series with bismuth content up to 6 at.% were characterized by measuring the thermoelectric transport properties over a wide temperature range between 123 K and 773 K using two different techniques for the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity. A decreasing thermal conductivity and increasing electrical conductivity were found with increasing doping level. The best results were obtained for samples with 5 at.% and 6 at.% bismuth, showing a maximum ZT value of 1.1 at 773 K. Transmission electron microscopy study was performed to analyze the microstructure of the nanopowders, suggesting that, in addition to n-type doping of the lead telluride matrix, segregation effects occur and the samples consist of multiple phases.     

Effect of Heat Treatment on Luminescent Properties of White Organic Light Emitting Device

The white organic light emitting device (OLED) with single-structure using a polymer blend as the light emitting layer is fabricated. Heat treatment is used to control the ratio between the intensities of main electroluminescent spectral peaks. The electroluminescent spectrum of our device is quite similar to that of white inorganic LED produced by Nichia Corporation after being annealed, and its turn-on voltage can be decreased by 1V.     

An Investigation on the Coupled Thermal–Mechanical–Electrical Response of Automobile Thermoelectric Materials and Devices

Thermoelectric (TE) materials, which can directly convert heat to electrical energy, possess wide application potential for power generation from waste heat. As TE devices in vehicle exhaust power generation systems work in the long term in a service environment with coupled thermal–mechanical–electrical conditions, the reliability of their mechanical strength and conversion efficiency is an important issue for their commercial application. Based on semiconductor TE devices wih multiple p–n couples and the working environment of a vehicle exhaust power generation system, the service conditions of the TE devices are simulated by using the finite-element method. The working temperature on the hot side is set according to experimental measurements, and two cooling methods, i.e., an independent and shared water tank, are adopted on the cold side. The conversion efficiency and thermal stresses of the TE devices are calculated and discussed. Numerical results are obtained, and the mechanism of the influence on the conversion efficiency and mechanical properties of the TE materials is revealed, aiming to provide theoretical guidance for optimization of the design and commercial application of vehicle TE devices.     

Organic–Inorganic Nanohybrids as Novel Thermoelectric Materials: Hybrids of Polyaniline and Bismuth(III) Telluride Nanoparticles

Thermoelectric materials have received much attention recently from the viewpoint of global environmental issues and effective utilization of energy resources. Especially those effective at relatively low temperature, such as below 100°C, which are usually abandoned without use, have become noteworthy recently. From this point of view, organic thermoelectric materials are most attractive, because they could be prepared at low cost and applied in various locations due to their flexibility. We have investigated the thermoelectric properties of organic conducting polymers such as polyaniline, polypyrrole, and polyphenylenevinylene, and succeeded in increasing the thermoelectric performance by selecting dopants, stretching conducting films, etc. Recently we have focused on new systems of organic–inorganic hybrid thermoelectric materials. Herein we present the preparation of a novel system of hybrids of polyaniline and bismuth(III) telluride nanoparticles, starting from bismuth(III) chloride and tetrachlorotellurium by using polyvinylpyrrolidone as a protecting reagent, as well as their thermoelectric properties. The hybrids prepared by this particular method showed much higher thermoelectric performance than the starting organic conducting polymer.     

Effect of Bismuth on the Properties of Elastically Stressed AlGaInAsP〈Bi〉/InP Heterostructures

Semiconductors - The results of growing elastically stressed AlGaInAsP〈Bi〉 thin epitaxial layers from the liquid phase on indium phosphide substrates in a temperature-gradient field...     

Photosensitive Elements Based on Two-Dimensional Bismuth Telluride: Obtaining and Current–Voltage Characteristics

Journal of Communications Technology and Electronics - Bismuth telluride based photosensitive elements were obtained and their properties were studied. Liquid exfoliation was used for bismuth...     

Effect of Annealing on the Surface Morphology and Current–Voltage Characterization of a CZO Structure Prepared by RF Magnetron Sputtering

Semiconductors - In this study, we investigated the Cu-doped ZnO (CZO) structure. This structure was deposited on the Si and glass substrates using the RF magnetron sputtering technique....     

Structural and Thermoelectric Properties of Chimney–Ladder Compounds in the Ru-Mn-Si System

We have investigated phase relationships of the sesquisilicide alloys in the Ru-Mn-Si system. A series of chimney–ladder phases Ru_1−x Mn _x Si _y (0.14 ≤ x ≤ 0.97, 1.584 ≤ y ≤ 1.741) are formed over a wide compositional range between Ru₂Si₃ and Mn₄Si₇. We also investigated thermoelectric properties of the directionally solidified Ru_1−x Mn _x Si _y alloys as a function of Mn content and temperature. The dimensionless figure of merit ZT for alloys with high Mn content (x ≥ 0.75) increases as the Mn content increases. The alloy with x = 0.90 exhibits ZT as high as 0.76 at 874 K.     

Effect of Alloying Elements on the Electrification–Fusion Phenomenon in Sn-Based Eutectic Alloys

The effect of alloying elements on the electrification–fusion phenomenon in Sn-based eutectic alloys (Sn-9Zn and Sn-37Pb) under alternating current was investigated in this study. Experimental results showed that the critical fusion current densities (CFCD) of Sn-based alloys were closely related to both the conductivity of the individual phase and the eutectic temperature. While the electrical current density value required to trigger microstructural evolution for the Sn-9Zn alloy was larger than the CFCD of pure Sn (1399 A/cm²), that for the Sn-37Pb alloy was not. Through in situ examination of the microstructural evolution during electrification–fusion tests, the initial liquation site emerged from individual Sn-based eutectic phase (i.e., the Sn/Zn eutectic phase or Sn/Pb eutectic phase); The liquation regions in the Sn/Zn eutectic phase and β-Sn phase of the Sn-9Zn alloy were not concentrated over the observation area. The liquation regions in the Sn/Pb eutectic phase and β-Sn phase of the Sn-37Pb alloy were extensively distributed over the observation area. According to the fusion distributed density at the observation area, the Sn-9Zn alloy has great potential to replace the Sn-37Pb alloy in future electrification applications.     

Effect of Excess Na on the Morphology and Thermoelectric Properties of Na x Pb1−x Te0.85Se0.15

The thermoelectric properties of p-Na _x Pb_1?x Te_0.85Se_0.15, which possesses a high thermoelectric figure of merit due to band convergence, have been systematically investigated for increasing Na concentration (x = 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.07) from room temperature to 773 K. For x values up to 0.03, the hole concentration increases with the Na concentration; however, for x ≥ 0.03, excess Na forms separate microstructures with needle- and plate-like shapes. At high concentrations (x = 0.05 and 0.07) both the number and size of these structures increase (over 10 μm). Differential scanning calorimetry identifies a phase change near 660 K in samples with x = 0.05 and 0.07, confirming the formation of microstructures; this phase change leads to a decrease in electrical resistivity. However, these microstructures do not significantly affect thermal transport, probably because they are too large to scatter phonons. The highest thermoelectric figure of merit, zT, value is 1.6, which is obtained at 760 K for x = 0.05, due to the low thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity.     

Effect of Surface-Covered Annealing on the Optical Properties of ZnO Films Grown by MOCVD

研究了暴露在空气中退火和表面覆盖蓝宝石基板退火对MOCVD生长的ZnO薄膜光学性质的影响. 研究发现，暴露在空气中退火虽可以去除薄膜中的氢杂质，并在低温光致发光(PL)谱中观察到与氢相关的束缚激子峰消失，但是退火后样品室温PL谱中可观察到很强的可见光发射，表明样品中引入了大量的深能级，样品的自由激子发光没有增强. 而表面覆盖蓝宝石基板退火的样品，有效去除了氢杂质，但没有观察到可见光发射，说明表面覆盖蓝宝石基板退火可以有效地保护ZnO表面不分解，不生成深能级中心. 由于激子束缚中心的减少，表面覆盖退火样品的自由激子发射大大增强.     

Effect of Substrate on the Structure and Thermoelectric Properties of n-Type Bi2Te3?ySey Thin Films Prepared by Electrodeposition

n-Type Bi₂Te_3−y Se _y thin films were prepared by potentiodynamic electrodeposition onto Au, Bi, and Bi₂Te_3−y Se _y substrates at room temperature. The electrochemical behaviors of Bi³⁺, HTeO₂ ⁺, and H₂SeO₃ on different substrates were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The morphology, composition, and structure of the films were studied by using environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and x-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The thermoelectric properties of n-type Bi₂Te_3−y Se _y films were determined by measuring the Seebeck coefficient (α) and electrical resistivity (ρ). The results showed that the composition and morphology of the films were sensitive to the substrate material. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated that the preferred orientation of annealed films was affected by the substrate and that the film prepared on the Bi₂Te_3−y Se _y substrate exhibited the strongest (015) orientation, with rhombohedral structure. It was proved that the properties of the annealed films could be affected by the substrate and that the film with the highest power factor (P = α ²/ρ) was obtained on the Bi₂Te_3−y Se _y substrate.     

Thermoelectric Properties of CdTe1−x Cl x Material Prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering Method

CdTe compound is a prospective thermoelectric material due to its high Seebeck coefficient and low thermal conductivity. In the present study, we optimized its carrier concentration by substituting Cl on the Te site in order to improve the electrical conductivity and decrease the lattice thermal conductivity. The polycrystalline CdTe_1?x Cl _x (x = 0.005, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05) samples were fabricated by solid state reaction followed with spark plasma sintering, and the relative densities of the sintered samples were higher than 98%. Thermoelectric properties, including Seebeck coefficient (α), electrical conductivity (σ). and thermal conductivity (κ), were measured in the temperature range of 300–700 K. The increase of Cl content (x) caused an increase of σ, and the maximum ZT value of 0.2 was obtained at about 630 K for the CdTe_0.97Cl_0.03 sample.     

Luminescence Properties of Cobalt-Doped ZnO Films Prepared by Sol–Gel Method

Pure ZnO and Co-doped ZnO films have been deposited on coverslip substrates by sol–gel spin coating. The morphological, structural, and optical properties of the films were investigated. The microstructure of the ZnO films became increasingly fine and the crystalline size decreased with Co doping. Analysis of x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectra reveals that Co²⁺ ions are substituted for Zn²⁺ ions in the ZnO lattice without changing its wurtzite structure. Co doping induces a decrease of the band-gap energy and fluorescence quenching of the emission bands. The spectra related to transitions within the tetrahedral Co²⁺ ions in the ZnO host crystal were observed in absorption and luminescence spectra. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra under different excitation energies and PL excitation spectra for the visible emissions suggest that the orange–red emission and green emission could be related to interstitial zinc (Zn_i) shallow donors and oxygen vacancy (V _O) deep donors, respectively. The red emission of Co-doped ZnO film could be assigned to the radiative transitions within the tetrahedral Co²⁺ ions in the ZnO host crystal after band-to-band excitation. A consistent explanation for the pure and Co-doped ZnO films is that the red emission under the excitation energy below the band gap is probably associated with extended Zn_i states.     

Effect of the Substrate Nature on the CdPbS Film Composition and Mechanical Stresses at the “Film–Substrate” Interface

Semiconductors - The role of substrates of different natures on the phase composition, morphology, and mechanical stresses at the “film–substrate” interface during the chemical...     

Dielectric and Optical Properties of CdS–Polymer Nanocomposites Prepared by the Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) Method

The successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method has been used to grow epitaxial CdS–polymer nanostructures as thin films with different surface morphology and particle size. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the dielectric properties and a.c. electrical conductivity (σ _a.c.), by a.c. impedance spectroscopy between 1 kHz and 1 MHz, at room temperature, of CdS–polymer nanocomposites produced by use of 2, 6, and 10 cycles of SILAR. The surface morphology and optical absorption of the samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV–visible spectroscopy, respectively. Determination of the energy gaps of CdS–polymer nanocomposites prepared by use of different numbers of cycles of SILAR reveals that the band gap decreases with increasing number of cycles (J. Cryst. Growth 305, 175–180, 2007). This behavior is because of the growth of nanoparticles in the matrix materials, and can be explained by changes in the amount of confinement as a consequence of particle size variation. SEM images also confirm that different numbers of cycles lead to different morphology. Frequency-dependent dielectric properties and a.c. electrical conductivity of the samples prepared by use of different numbers of cycles of SILAR were investigated, and comparative studies on some electrophysical properties of the samples are reported. Experimental results show that values of the dielectric constant (ε′), dielectric loss (ε″), dielectric loss tangent (tanδ), the real (M′) and imaginary (M″) parts of electric modulus, and σ _a.c. are highly dependent on the frequency and the number of cycles. It can be concluded that changing the frequency and the number of cycles substantially alters both the dielectric properties and a.c. electrical conductivity of the samples.     

The Effect of Heat Treatment Process on Metallic LaNiO_3 Films from Metalorganic Precursors

ＴｈｅＥｆｅｃｔｏｆＨｅａｔＴｒｅａｔｍｅｎｔＰｒｏｃｅｓｏｎＭｅｔａｌｉｃＬａＮｉＯ３ＦｉｌｍｓｆｒｏｍＭｅｔａｌｏｒｇａｎｉｃＰｒｅｃｕｒｓｏｒｓＡ．Ｄ．ＬｉＣ．Ｚ．ＧｅＤ．ＷｕＰ．ＬüＮ．Ｂ．Ｍｉｎｇ（ＮａｔｉｏｎａｌＬａｂｏｒａｔｏｒｙｏｆＳ...