Achieving superior thermoelectric transport in bismuth antimony telluride thin films via orientation and microstructure regulation

The electron-phonon transport properties of bismuth telluride-based thermoelectric materials are significantly influenced by crystallographic orientation and microstructure engineering. Thin-film materials are proper candidates for the study of structure-property relationship due to abundant microst...

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Main Authors: Qu Youyang, Zhao Bing, Zhao Weiyun, Deng Yuan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Science Press 2025-04-01
Series:National Science Open
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Online Access:https://www.sciengine.com/doi/10.1360/nso/20250008
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author Qu Youyang
Zhao Bing
Zhao Weiyun
Deng Yuan
author_facet Qu Youyang
Zhao Bing
Zhao Weiyun
Deng Yuan
author_sort Qu Youyang
collection DOAJ
description The electron-phonon transport properties of bismuth telluride-based thermoelectric materials are significantly influenced by crystallographic orientation and microstructure engineering. Thin-film materials are proper candidates for the study of structure-property relationship due to abundant microstructures. However, comprehensive studies on thin-film thermoelectric materials remain insufficient. Here, we synthesize p-type Bi<sub>0.5</sub>Sb<sub>1.5</sub>Te<sub>3</sub> thin films via magnetron sputtering and followed by heat treatment. Preferential growth orientation of thin films exhibits a strong dependence on deposition conditions, allowing targeted orientation engineering through process parameter optimization. A high sputtering pressure of <sc>3 Pa</sc> produces Bi<sub>0.5</sub>Sb<sub>1.5</sub>Te<sub>3</sub> thin films with preferred in-plane orientation. The post-heat treatment enables precise regulation of electron-phonon coupling efficiency by engineering defect configurations. The dislocation density was reduced after annealing, and anti-site defects can also be tuned to optimized carrier concentration and mobility. After the heat annealing process under 400°C, a super high zT value of 1.49 was achieved at <sc>313 K</sc> in Bi<sub>0.5</sub>Sb<sub>1.5</sub>Te<sub>3</sub> thin film.
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spelling doaj-art-18f36ae8680e47b4af258e4c0f830ec72025-08-20T01:54:57ZengScience PressNational Science Open2097-11682025-04-01410.1360/nso/20250008eb33e642Achieving superior thermoelectric transport in bismuth antimony telluride thin films via orientation and microstructure regulationQu Youyang0Zhao Bing1Zhao Weiyun2Deng Yuan3["School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, China"]["School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, China"]["Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing Materials and Chip Integration Technology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Innovation Institute of Beihang University, Hangzhou 310052, China"]["School of Materials Science & Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, China","Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing Materials and Chip Integration Technology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou Innovation Institute of Beihang University, Hangzhou 310052, China"]The electron-phonon transport properties of bismuth telluride-based thermoelectric materials are significantly influenced by crystallographic orientation and microstructure engineering. Thin-film materials are proper candidates for the study of structure-property relationship due to abundant microstructures. However, comprehensive studies on thin-film thermoelectric materials remain insufficient. Here, we synthesize p-type Bi<sub>0.5</sub>Sb<sub>1.5</sub>Te<sub>3</sub> thin films via magnetron sputtering and followed by heat treatment. Preferential growth orientation of thin films exhibits a strong dependence on deposition conditions, allowing targeted orientation engineering through process parameter optimization. A high sputtering pressure of <sc>3 Pa</sc> produces Bi<sub>0.5</sub>Sb<sub>1.5</sub>Te<sub>3</sub> thin films with preferred in-plane orientation. The post-heat treatment enables precise regulation of electron-phonon coupling efficiency by engineering defect configurations. The dislocation density was reduced after annealing, and anti-site defects can also be tuned to optimized carrier concentration and mobility. After the heat annealing process under 400°C, a super high zT value of 1.49 was achieved at <sc>313 K</sc> in Bi<sub>0.5</sub>Sb<sub>1.5</sub>Te<sub>3</sub> thin film.https://www.sciengine.com/doi/10.1360/nso/20250008thermoelectricbismuth antimony telluridemagnetron sputteringmicrostructureelectron-phonon transport
spellingShingle Qu Youyang
Zhao Bing
Zhao Weiyun
Deng Yuan
Achieving superior thermoelectric transport in bismuth antimony telluride thin films via orientation and microstructure regulation
National Science Open
thermoelectric
bismuth antimony telluride
magnetron sputtering
microstructure
electron-phonon transport
title Achieving superior thermoelectric transport in bismuth antimony telluride thin films via orientation and microstructure regulation
title_full Achieving superior thermoelectric transport in bismuth antimony telluride thin films via orientation and microstructure regulation
title_fullStr Achieving superior thermoelectric transport in bismuth antimony telluride thin films via orientation and microstructure regulation
title_full_unstemmed Achieving superior thermoelectric transport in bismuth antimony telluride thin films via orientation and microstructure regulation
title_short Achieving superior thermoelectric transport in bismuth antimony telluride thin films via orientation and microstructure regulation
title_sort achieving superior thermoelectric transport in bismuth antimony telluride thin films via orientation and microstructure regulation
topic thermoelectric
bismuth antimony telluride
magnetron sputtering
microstructure
electron-phonon transport
url https://www.sciengine.com/doi/10.1360/nso/20250008
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AT zhaoweiyun achievingsuperiorthermoelectrictransportinbismuthantimonytelluridethinfilmsviaorientationandmicrostructureregulation
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