Thermoelectric properties of thin films of bismuth telluride electrochemically deposited on stainless steel substrates
Journal article, 2011

Bismuth telluride thin films have been synthesized by electrochemical deposition onto stainless steel substrates from acidic solutions. The influence of deposition variables on film composition, morphology and crystal orientation associated with the growth of the film was investigated by means of constant potential deposition and pulsed potential deposition. In-plane thermoelectric and transport properties of the electrodeposited films were measured. The carrier concentration of the electrodeposited films was found to be one order of magnitude larger than typically reported for optimized bulk bismuth telluride, which explains the unusually low Hall mobility and Seebeck coefficient values found for the electrodeposited films. Pulse deposited films showed slightly lower electrical resistivity and higher Seebeck coefficient due to the lower porosity and less preferred crystal orientation of the films compared to the continuously deposited films. Improvements of the film properties are necessary to make them viable for applications.

electrodeposition

Bismuth telluride

orientation

Electrochemical deposition

texture

Thermoelectric

Crystal

bi2te3

Transport properties

Thin films

Author

Yi Ma

Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Applied Surface Chemistry

Elisabet Ahlberg

University of Gothenburg

Ye Sun

Aarhus University

Bo Brummerstedt Iversen

Aarhus University

Anders Palmqvist

Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Applied Surface Chemistry

Electrochimica Acta

0013-4686 (ISSN)

Vol. 56 11 4216-4223

Subject Categories

Chemical Sciences

DOI

10.1016/j.electacta.2011.01.093

More information

Latest update

2/28/2018