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High-Temperature PbTe Thin Films for Use in Cascade Thermoelectric Power Generation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

J.B. Posthill ,
J.C. Caylor ,
P.D. Crocco ,
T.S. Colpitts  and
R. Venkatasubramanian
J.B. Posthill
Affiliation:
RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709–2194
J.C. Caylor
Affiliation:
RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709–2194
P.D. Crocco
Affiliation:
RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709–2194
T.S. Colpitts
Affiliation:
RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709–2194
R. Venkatasubramanian
Affiliation:
RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709–2194
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Abstract

PbTe-based thin films were deposited by thermal evaporation at temperatures ranging from ambient temperature to 430°C on different vicinal GaAs (100) substrates and BaF2 (111). This materials system is being evaluated as a potential candidate thermoelectric material for a mid-temperature stage in a cascade power generation module. Pure PbTe, PbSe, and multilayer PbTe/PbSe films were investigated. All films deposited on different vicinal GaAs (100) substrates were found to be polycrystalline when deposited at 250°C or lower. A subtle effect of substrate orientation and multilayer periodicity appears to contribute to the more randomly oriented polycrystallinity, which also lowers the thermal conductivity. These results are compared with PbTe epitaxial results on BaF2 (111).

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 793: Symposium S – Thermoelectric Materials 2003 - Research and Applications , 2003 , S11.6
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

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References

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