Phase equilibria in the YbTe-Sb2Te3-Te system

The phase equilibria in the YbTe-Sb2Te3-Te system were investigated by means of differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive analysis (SEM-EDS) techniques. Two isopleth sections and liquidus surface projection were constructed. The primary crystallization fields of phases, the character and temperatures of the invariant and monovariant processes were determined. No new ternary compound was found in this system and moreover, known ternary compounds YbSb2Te4 and YbSb4Te7 were not confirmed. The newly determined phase equilibria in this sub-system will provide important information for the future construction of self-consistent phase diagram of the ternary Yb-Sb-Te system in the entire concentration range.