Features of Mechanisms of Electrical Conductivity in Semiconductive Solid Solution Lu₁ – _xSc_xNiSb

A comprehensive study of the crystal and electronic structures, thermodynamic, electrokinetic, energy, and magnetic properties of the semiconductive solid solution Lu_1-xSc_xNiSb, x = 0 – 0.10, revealed the possibility of doping Sc atoms of different crystallographic sites depending on their concentration. This leads to the generation of structural defects of donor and/or acceptor nature and the appearance of the corresponding energy levels (bands) in the band gap ϵ_g. The ratio of ionized donors and acceptors (degree of compensation) determines the position of the Fermi level ϵ_F in Lu_1-xSc_xNiSb. The dependence of the rate of generation of energy levels and the position of the Fermi level ϵF on the impurity concentration Sc, which determines the mechanism of electrical conductivity of Lu_1-xSc_xNiSb, is established. The investigated Lu_1-xSc_xNiSb solid solution is a promising thermoelectric material. (author)