Transport properties of thermoelectric materials for coolers

The Seebeck coefficient, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity and Hall coefficient of cooler grade, p-and n-type ternary alloys of Bi₂Te₃-Sb₂Te₃-Sb₂Se₃ were measured between 10 and 300 K. Between 300 K and about 150 K the temperature dependence of the transport properties can be explained by assuming nondegeneracy and a lattice scattering mechanism. The difference between the temperature dependence of the Hall effect in n-and p-type alloys can be explained by the presence of sub-bands of light and heavy holes in the valence band of p-type alloys.