Semiconductors

Investigation of nanocrystalline and traditionally produced thermoelectric materials on the basis of Bi$_2$Te$_{3-x}$Se$_x$, Bi$_{2-x}$Sb$_x$Te$_3$, PbTe and GeTe

Yu. I. Shtern^a, A. A. Sherchenkov^a, M. Yu. Shtern^a, M. S. Rogachev^a, N. Yu. Tabachkova<sup>b

a</sup> National Research University of Electronic Technology
^b National University of Science and Technology «MISIS», Moscow

Abstract: Efficient thermoelectric materials on the basis of Bi$_2$Te$_{3-x}$Se$_x$, Bi$_{2-x}$Sb$_x$Te$_3$, PbTe and GeTe for temperature range of 200–900 K were investigated. Materials were fabricated using traditional methods and nanostructuring. A comparative analysis of the main physical parameters of these materials was carried out, and the temperature dependences of their thermoelectric parameters and thermoelectric figure of merit were determined. The relationship between structure and thermoelectric parameters in nanocrystalline materials was established. A study of heat transport mechanisms showed that a 10–21% increase in thermoelectric figure of merit in nanocrystalline materials is due to a decrease in phonon thermal conductivity. As a result of the calculation of a three-section thermoelement, in which nanocrystalline thermoelectric materials were used, a high efficiency of 18% was obtained at temperatures of 300–900 K.

Keywords: thermoelectric materials, nanostructure, thermoelectric parameters, heat transport mechanisms.

Received: 29.10.2024
Revised: 14.10.2025
Accepted: 24.10.2025

DOI: 10.61011/FTT.2025.10.61962.286-25

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