PbTe/Ag composite powders were synthesized by a chemical plating method and then compacted by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 573 K to 673 K and 50 MPa. The effects of the sintering temperature on the thermoelectric properties of PbTe and the PbTe/Ag composites were investigated. The thermoelectric properties of PbTe and PbTe/Ag bulk samples were measured in the temperature range from 300 K to 700 K. PbTe/Ag bulk samples changed electrical transport behavior from p-type to n-type at room temperature. The SPS temperature not only changed the lattice parameter but also affected the conduction behavior of PbTe/Ag composites. The variation in the carrier concentration was determined by the role of the Ag dopant for different SPS temperatures. Moreover, the conduction of the PbTe/Ag samples changed from metallic to semiconducting in the measured temperature range from 300 K to 700 K as the sintering temperature increased. For the PbTe/Ag bulk materials subjected to SPS at 573 K and 673 K, the values of the power factor were 0.38 mW/m K2 and 1.31 mW/m K2 at 700 K, respectively.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
V. Fano, CRC Handbook of Thermoelectrics, ed. D.M. Rowe (Boca Raton, FL: CRC, 1995), p. 257.
K.F. Hsu, S. Loo, F. Guo, W. Chen, J.S. Dyck, C. Uher, T. Hogan, E.K. Polychroniadis, and M.G. Kanatzidis, Science 303, 818 (2004).
Y. Pei, A.D. LaLonde, N.A. Heinz, and G.J. Snyder, Adv. Energy Mater. 2, 670 (2012).
J.P. Heremans, C.M. Thrush, and D.T. Morelli, Phys. Rev. B 70, 115334 (2004).
J. Martin, L. Wang, L.D. Chen, and G.S. Nolas, Phys. Rev. B 79, 115311 (2009).
C.H. Kuo, H.S. Chien, C.H. Hwang, Y.W. Chou, M.S. Jeng, and Masahiro Yoshimura, Mater. Trans. 52, 795 (2011).
R. Jin, G. Chen, J. Pei, and C. Yan, New J. Chem. 36, 2574 (2012).
X. Ji, B. Zhang, Z. Su, T. Holgate, J. He, and T.M. Tritt, Phys. Status Solidi A 206, 221 (2009).
X. Ji, J. He, Z. Su, N. Gothard, and T.M. Tritt, J. Appl. Phys. 104, 034907 (2008).
M. Schenk, H. Berger, A. Klimakow, M. Müilberg, and M. Wienecke, Cryst. Res. Technol. 23, 77 (1988).
A.J. Strauss, J. Electron. Mater. 2, 553 (1973).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sie, F.R., Hwang, C.S., Tang, Y.H. et al. Effect of Sintering Temperature on Thermoelectric Properties of PbTe/Ag Composites Fabricated by Chemical Plating and Spark Plasma Sintering. J. Electron. Mater. 44, 1450–1455 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-014-3411-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-014-3411-z