J. C. Tedenac

It is well known that bismuth telluride (Bi₂Te₃), its isomorphs (Bi₂Se₃ and Sb₂Te₃) and their alloys have the optimum bandgap (0.13 eV to 0.21 eV) for efficient solid state cooling applications around 300 K. Recently interesting work argued that the use of quantum well structures can enhance the figure of merit ZT as a result of the improvement of carrier charge density of state and the reduction of the thermal conductivity. However, for the production of such structures it is necessary to establish the optimum growth conditions and the doping levels of thin films based on Bi₂Te₃ and its isomorphs.In this paper we report on the growth characteristics of Bi₂Te₃ ternary alloys (even quaternary) thin films elaborated by the Hot Wall Epitaxy (HWE) technique. Ternary alloys based on bismuth telluride have been deposited as thin films on silicon and silica substrates. Hot Wall Epitaxy have been demonstrated to be a suitable technique in chalcogenides growth. These films are formed in a closed chamber, that make possible to keep substrates at relatively high temperature T_s without selective loss of individual components from condensate. Experimental procedures, such as substrate and source materials preparations, have been described in our previous publications. Thin films obtained are well oriented (001) and have block single-crystal structure. These films were studied by microstructural investigations and electrical measurements (electrical conductivity σ, Hall coefficient R_H and Hall mobility μ_n) in the temperature range from liquid nitrogen to 570 K.