Preparation and thermoelectric properties of novel Tellurium-based glassy semiconductors

Vitrification of Tellurium-based(Te) chalcogenid semiconductors is explored as a new route to enhance their thermoelectric properties by maximizing the degree of structural disorder to produce the minimum thermal conductivity. Ga₂Te₃-SnTe systems are focused in this paper and the optimized glass-forming composition is identified. Complete bulk (Ga₂Te₃)₃₄(SnTe)₆₆ glass is successfully prepared by a spark plasma sintering technique and exhibited an ultralow low thermal conductivity and high Seebeck coefficient. Together with the tunable electrical conductivity, the newly obtained Ga₂Te₃-SnTe glasses broaden the research scope of Te-based semiconductor glasses and also provide a new option for the development of high-performance thermoelectric materials.