Thermoelectric properties of p-type (Bi2Te3)x(Sb2Te3)1−x prepared by spark plasma sintering

High performance (Bi2Te3)x(Sb2Te3)1−x bulk materials have been prepared by combining fusion technique with spark plasma sintering, and their thermoelectric properties have been investigated. With the increase of Bi2Te3 content, the electrical resistivity and Seebeck coefficient increase greatly and the thermal conductivity decreases significantly, which lead to a great improvement in the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT. The maximum ZT value reaches 1.33 at 398 K for the composition of 20% Bi2Te3-80%Sb2Te3 with 3 wt% excess Te.