Bismuth telluride-based materials obtained by rapid quenching process

Bi2Te3−xSex and Bi2−ySbyTe3 thick films were obtained by a rapid quenching process. A cooling rate of the melt on Ni–Cu substrate was of the order of 104–106 K/s. The thickness of the films varied in the range of 20–200 μm. The thick films obtained were annealed at 573 K for 1 h.Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction demonstrated a monocrystalline structure of the materials obtained at lower cooling rates. Thermoelectric figure of merit ZT of these materials was in the range 1.1–1.3.