Structural and electrical properties of semimagnetic semiconductors Pb1−xYbxSe thin films

In the current study, the semimagnetic semiconductor Pb1−xYbxSe compound was synthesized via solid-state microwave plasma-assisted technique using pure powder forms of elemental Pb, Se, and Yb. High-quality polycrystalline thin films of Pb1−xYbxSe were deposited onto clean glass substrates via vacuum evaporation at 10−6 mbar. Based on the X-ray diffraction patterns, Pb1−xYbxSe has a typical polycrystalline rock-salt structure. The lattice constant decreased as Yb content increased for the planes (2 0 0) and (1 1 1). The electrical properties of the thin films were determined within the temperature range of 298–523 K. The electrical conductivity of the doped thin films was larger than that of pure PbSe, except at x = 0.015. The Seebeck coefficients of all Pb1−xYbxSe films indicated a n-type conduction and decreased with increasing Yb. The maximum power factor value of the sample with x = 0.06 was 3693.37 μW/mK2 at 523 K.

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► Successfully synthesized polycrystalline of Pb1−xYbxSe by solid-state microwave plasma.
► The analysis of as-deposited samples by FESEM has shown nanostructure for all films.
► The electrical properties of the thin films were enhanced with increasing Yb content.