Fabrication and Characterization of PLD-Grown Bismuth Telluride (Bi 2 Te 3) and Antimony Telluride (Sb 2 Te 3) Thermoelectric Devices

Abstract

We report on the fabrication and characterization of multi-leg bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) and antimony telluride (Sb2Te3) thermoelectric devices. The two materials were deposited, on top of SiO2/Si substrates, using Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD). The SiO2 layer was used to provide insulation between the devices and the Si wafer. Copper was used as an electrical connector and a contact for the junctions. Four devices were built, where the Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 were deposited at substrate temperatures of 100˚C, 200˚C, 300˚C and 400˚C. The results show that the device has a voltage sensitivity of up to 146 μV/K and temperature sensitivity of 6.8 K/mV.