Thermoelectric properties of Tl-doped PbTeSe crystals grown by directional solidification

Three Tl-doped PbTe and two Tl-doped PbTeSe crystals were grown by vertical un-seeded directional solidification method. Among them, two Tl-doped PbTe ingots, with starting composition of (Pb0.99Tl0.01)Te, were grown under Pb or Te pressure over the melt provided by a Pb or Te reservoir, respectively, whereas another ingot, with starting composition of (Pb0.98Tl0.02)Te, was grown under Te overpressure. Two Tl-doped PbTeSe crystals, with starting composition of (Pb0.98Tl0.02)(Te0.85Se0.15) and (Pb0.96Tl0.04)(Te0.85Se0.15), were grown without any over-pressure. Disk-shaped samples were sliced at different locations along the growth axis and their thermal conductivities were determined from thermal diffusivity, density, and heat capacity measurements. The electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient were simultaneously measured as a function of temperature for each disk sample. The Figure of Merit for the thermoelectric application, zT, was calculated from these properties from room temperature to about 640 °C. The Tl-doped PbTeSe samples have the highest zT value of 1.63 at temperature range of 425 to 475 °C, comparing to 1.13 at 410 °C for the Tl-doped PbTe samples. By substituting 15% of the Te atoms in the Tl-doped PbTe by Se atoms, the Figure of Merit of PbTeSe was enhanced by reducing the thermal conductivity about 26% and, at the same time, increasing the electrical conductivity by 43%.