A facile in-situ reaction method for preparing flexible Sb₂Te₃ thermoelectric thin films

Abstract

Inorganic p-type Sb₂Te₃ flexible thin films (f-TFs) with eco-friendly and high thermoelectric performance have attracted wide research interest and potential for commercial applications. This study employs a facile in-situ reaction method to prepare flexible Sb₂Te₃ thin films by rationally adjusting the synthesized temperature. The prepared thin films show good crystallinity, which enhances the electrical conductivity of ~1,440 S·cm^-1 due to the weakened carrier scattering. Simultaneously, the optimized carrier concentration, through adjusting the synthesis temperature, causes the intermediate Seebeck coefficient. Consequently, a high-power factor (16.0 μW·cm^-1·K^-2 at 300 K) is achieved for Sb₂Te₃ f-TFs prepared at 623 K. Besides, the f-TFs also exhibit good flexibility due to the slight change in resistance after bending. This study specifies that the in-situ reaction method is an effective route to prepare Sb₂Te₃ f-TFs with high thermoelectric performance.

Keywords

Thermoelectric / Sb₂Te₃ / flexible thin film / thermal diffusion

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