It has been reported that high figures of merit could be achieved on bismuth telluride grown by T.H.M. (Travelling Heater Method). Further improvements could be obtained for the p-type materials by studying solid solutions formed by bismuth telluride and antimony telluride.

A good knowledge of the ternary phase diagram is necessary to obtain homogeneous ingots by T.H.M..

We present the results of the determination of ternary phase diagram (Bi-Sb-Te). The equilibrium data between liquid and solid alloys Bi8Sb32Te60, Bi9Sb31Te60 and Bi10Sb30Te60 are also reported and it allows their elaboration by T.H.M..

Thermoelectric characterization of ternary samples is carried out as a function of stoichiometric deviations. Measurements of electrical and thermal conductivities as well as Seebeck coefficient were done at room temperature for the Bi8Sb32Te60, Bi9Sb31Te60 and Bi10Sb30Te60 alloys.

The values of the figure of merit remain interesting for the alloys studied and a maximum value of 3.2 10−3 K−1 is reached for the Bi9Sb31Te60 alloy.

Materials based on Bi.Te, Se, Sb and produced by pressing, extrusion or zone recrystalization are used usually for the thermoelectric cooling. But by Czochralski method materiales have been far less grown. Researches on growing of monocrystalline ingots on the base of combinations Bi-Se-Te and Bi-Sb-Te have been done by [1,2]. The same researches have been made at our Institute.

As, both numerous investigations and practical applications testify, thermobatteries based on film material possess such principal advanteges as high technology and possibility of thermobattery with a great number of legs manufacture-They have also two main drawbacks: relatively small time stability and low efficiency due to shunting of substrate on which thermobattery is formed.

Ruthenium oxide and iridium oxide have outstanding resistance to corrosion. These oxides are also excellent electrical conductors and have been used as biochemical charge injection electrodes. Their unique electrical and electrochemical properties have also led to their consideration as high temperature pH electrodes. Thin films are the most useful form for these applications as they permit the miniaturization of fast response sensors and electrodes.

This study was used to characterize the thermoelectric and electrical conductance parameters of ruthenium and iridium oxide sputtered thin films. The electric and thermoelectric properties of the thin films were found to be sensitive to the annealing temperature of the sputtered oxides. The properties of the film are related to the microstructure, stoichiometry and crystal structure as determined by x-ray diffraction. Heat treatments were used to stabilize the thermoelectric response and the thermal coefficient of resistivity.

Silicon powders have been successfully deposited by a corona discharge assisted electrostatic process on insulating, semiconducting, and conducting substrates. Subsequently, the deposits were heat treated and films have been formed. We present data pertatining to silicon films on insulators. The insulating surfaces used were sapphire, SiO2 on Si, and Si3N4 on Si. The electrical, chemical, and physical characteristics of these films are presented along with the time and temperature effects on the film formation. The impact of the above method with emphasis to the microelectronics industry will be discussed.

Thermoelectric power (S) has been measured on La2-xSrxNiO4-δ. Both nonmetallic (0.5 < × < 1.0) and metallic materials (1.1 ≤ × ≤ 1. 5) have been investigated between 80 and 310 K. The sign of S changes from negative to positive between 150 and 220 K for both metallic and nonmetallic samples. The position at which the curve crosses from negative to positive depends upon the composition (x). For example, when × = 1.15 (metallic conductivity) S changes from negative to positive at about 220 K. However, if this sample is heated to 1000° C under argon, the material becomes nonmetallic and the sign of S remains positive between 80 and 310 K. These results may indicate that more than one type of carrier is involved. The absolute magnitude of S at 300 K decreases with × for 0.5 ≤ × ≤ 1.15 and then increases with × for 1.15 ≤ × ≤ 1.5. In the heavily doped material where S becomes more negative with increasing doping, the thermoelectric power strongly indicates that electrons and not holes are the majority carriers.

P-Cu2-δ Se(δ=0.025) samples, self-doped through a departure from the stoichiometry(po= 4.8·1020) and cadmium-doped up to a concentration po= 5.6·1020cm−3 were studied in the course of their irradiation in a reactor up to a fluance of -6·1020 n·cm−2 of fast neutrons at a temperature of -500-550° C. The dependence of the resistivity and thermo-emf on the fast neutron fluence is described in terms of the theory of effective medium and representation of defect clusters as dielectric inclusions in a conducting matrix of p-Cu2Se(Cd) and p-Cu2_δSe samples.

Defect clusters of a mean radius of -27 Å are shown to appear not only because of scattering of the fast pile neutrons on copper and selenium atoms, but also due to a nuclear reaction 112Cd(n,γ)114Cd on thermal neutrons with an efficiency of 3.43 cm−1. Increase of the conductivity in the process of the reactor irradiation of p-Cu2-δSe at small fluences of fast neutrons and appearance of a whitish deposit of selenium on the surface of samples after high fluences of fast neutrons were observed.