The Journal of
the Korean Journal of Metals and Materials

The Journal of
the Korean Journal of Metals and Materials

Monthly
  • pISSN : 1738-8228
  • eISSN : 2288-8241

Editorial Office

Title Characterization of the Structural Modulations in n-type Bi2 (Te0.95Se0.05)3 Thermoelectric Compound
Authors 윤성호(Sung Ho Yoon); 이갑호(Kap Ho Lee); 홍순직(Soon Jik Hong)
DOI https://doi.org/10.3365/KJMM.2015.53.2.123
Page pp.123-132
ISSN 1738-8228(ISSN), 2288-8241(eISSN)
Keywords thermoelectric materials; structural modulations; dislocation; transmission electron microscopy (TEM); extrusion
Abstract An n-type Bi2Te3 thermoelectric compound was analyzed by using a high resolution transmission electron microscopy, and was further analyzed by using an image processing unit. A sinusoidal strain contrast of the structural modulations appeared in a multi-beam image and the fringes showed a wavelength of 12 nm with a wave vector parallel to the {101.10} planes. A numerous dislocations were found to glide on to the (0001) plane with a Burgers vector of 1/3<21.1.0>-type on the strain field. In order for the elastic strain energy to be relieved, the resultant 1/3<21.1.0>-type dislocation was thought to be dissociated into two partial dislocations gliding on the {1.015} planes. The variation in stacking periodicity of the 5-layers lamellar structure with respect to the basal plane of Bi2Te3 was also observed locally. However, this stacking variation is not responsible for the formation of structural modulations. The displacement of the sinusoidal strain field on the structural modulations seems to be generated by dislocation, with presence of dipoles that are about a few nanometers apart. It is understandable that phonons should be scattered throughout the strain field of the structural modulation. Hence, the lattice thermal conductivity is expected to be decreased due to the phonon scattering on sinusoidal strain field of the structural modulations.