V.E. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics NAS of Ukraine
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

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Method  of doping chalcogenide semiconductor materials for thermoelectric energy converters

№ 17 Department for Problems of Defect Formation and Nonequilibrium Processes in Complex Semiconductors
A.I. Vlasenko, V.A. Gnatyuk, S.N. Levytskyi, M.I. Boiko, M.P. Kyselyuk, Ts.A. Krys’kov, A.A. Krys’kov

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Applicability of the method: Doping of a material (the use of an oscillating furnace) for improvement of thermoelectric parameters (thermo EMF coefficient, thermal conductivity and resistivity). Mixing of builders and a doped impurity during synthesis of materials gives in a uniform distribution of a dope in the volume. On the base of the synthesized materials, experimental samples of various microelectronics devices (thermoelectric converters, detectors, sensors etc.) can be fabricated.
Description of development: the technology of synthesis (doping) with the use of an oscillating furnace consists in a deduction to ramp-up of synthesis at mechanical mixing of components during synthesis of a material. Owing to mixing of a material, its uniformity is increased (a uniform distribution of a doping impurity) is increased. The thermocouple branches made from the synthesized material have the better thermoelectric parameters in comparison with the branches made from the samples synthesized by a LVC method (liquid-vapor-crystal).

Basic technical characteristics of the method of the technology at using it for synthesis of chalcogenide semiconductor materials and parameters of experimental samples:    

Characteristics or parameters Values
1. Temperature of synthesis (PbTe-based) 1100 -1200 °С
2.  Number oscillation series  3-5
3.  Number of oscillation per series  10-15 times
4.  Duration of one oscillation  10- 15 min.
5.  Duration of synthesis  3-4 days
6.  Slope angle of a furnace concerning the initial (horizontal) position  15-30°
7.  Temperature change value of the thermo EMF coefficient (α)   Δt, °C    α, x10-6 V/°С
   PbTe   
PbTe(Se)
PbTe(In)
PbTe(InSe)
PbTe(Ge)
PbTe(CdJ2)
 154/ 251    71,07/71,67
                 67,5/  119,5
                   79,2/88,4
                 135,7/ 129,8
                 80,5/ -77,2
                 148,7/ 173,3

 Method of a doping chalcogenide semiconductor material with the use of an oscillating furnace has advantages in comparison with other methods (i.e. LVC) and it is very promising. Experimental samples of thermocouple branches show the technical characteristics at the level of the best world samples and the thermocouples have successfully tested in the thermoelectric devices.

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