Percolation effects and self-organization processes in cold-pressed Bi2(Te1−xSex)3 solid solutions

Abstract

It was established that the dependences of thermoelectric and mechanical properties of cold-pressed Bi2(Te1−xSex)3 alloys on composition (x = 0–0.07) exhibit a non-monotonic behavior in certain concentration ranges: an anomalous decrease in the Seebeck coefficient, thermoelectric power factor, and microhardness, and increase in electrical conductivity with increasing x. We observed similar anomalies earlier for cast Bi2(Te1−xSex)3 alloys and explained them by percolation and self-organization phenomena. Thus, the existence of the anomalies does not depend on the method of sample preparation. However, in pressed samples as compared to cast ones conductivity type changes from p to n and thermoelectric power factor increases.