Thermoelectricproperties of glassed Bi_1-xSb_x wires doped with Sn and Teunder elastic stretch

P.Bodiul, E. Moloshnik, G. Para, I. Popov, O. Botnary

Institute of Applied Physics, AcademySciences of Moldova, Academy str. 5, Chisinau, MD-2028, Moldova

In this work we haveinvestigated n and p-type of thermoelectric Bi-12at%Sb – wires withdiameter 0.1-20m at the mechanical stretch inmagnetic field up to 14T in the temperature interval 4.2-300K.

The single crystalwires were obtained by casting from a liquid phase in a glass cover, and havecleavage plane (111) forming the angle ~ 20⁰ to the sample axis.

It is known that bulkBi-12at%Sb crystals are the best thermoelectric materials for n- branch at 80K.However, bulk crystals are very fragile. The advantage of thin wires in a glasscover is their higher mechanical strength and possibility for creation ofelastic anisotropic deformations up to 1.5-2% relative elongation.

It was found that themaximal power factor in Bi-12%Sb wires is 1-2*10^-4 W/cm*k²in the temperature interval of 100-150K.

By elastic stretch wemanaged to realize various types of electron topologic transitions and toestimate the power factor dependence on stretch of n- and p- doped Bi-12at%Sbwires of different diameters. Optimization of the obtained results depending ondiameter, doping, elastic stretch and magnetic field was carried out.

This work is supported by Civilian Research andDevelopment Foundation for the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union(CRDF) # MP2 – 3019.