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Exploration and Optimization of Tellurium‐Based Thermoelectrics

Exploration and Optimization of Tellurium‐Based Thermoelectrics

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In order to better determine if the elements were successfully incorporated, refinements were<br />

attempted on a series <strong>of</strong> compounds <strong>and</strong> their respective LeBail findings are displayed, in Table 8.5. All<br />

refinements on doped samples were performed with the proposed single crystal model [193] <strong>and</strong> followed<br />

a similar refinement “recipe” for consistency.<br />

Table 8.5 Summary <strong>of</strong> LeBail refinements for Tr xSn 1‐xBi 2Te 4 <strong>and</strong> Tr/V xSnBi 2‐xTe 4.<br />

Target<br />

Compound<br />

Space<br />

Group<br />

(Å) = (Å) (Å 3 ) RP a \ RB b<br />

SnBi2Te4 (cif) [193] 3 4.411 41.51099 699.47 3 \<br />

––––––– –––––– ––––––– ––––––– ––––––– ––– –––––––<br />

Ga0.02Sn0.98Bi2Te4 3 4.402(1) 41.66(1) 699.1(5) 3 4.40 \ 7.73<br />

Ga0.07Sn0.93Bi2Te4 3 4.395(2) 41.77(2) 698.7(9) 3 7.85 \ 8.05<br />

In0.02Sn0.98Bi2Te4 3 4.394(2) 41.62(2) 696.1(7) 3 5.42 \ 6.89<br />

In0.07Sn0.93Bi2Te4 3 4.4041(8) 41.590(7) 698.6(3) 3 5.16 \ 7.67<br />

––––––– –––––– ––––––– ––––––– ––––––– ––– –––––––<br />

Target<br />

Compound<br />

Space<br />

Group<br />

89<br />

(%)<br />

(Å) = (Å) (Å 3 ) RP a \ RB b<br />

Ga0.02SnBi1.98Te4 3 4.3961(3) 41.644(2) 696.99(9) 3 3.98 \ 6.59<br />

Ga0.05SnBi1.95Te4 3 4.37259(8) 41.3911(8) 685.35(2) 3 4.00 \ 5.61<br />

In0.05SnBi1.95Te4 3 4.375(1) 41.39(1) 686.0(6) 3 6.08 \ 7.45<br />

In0.07SnBi1.93Te4 3 4.3966(2) 41.584(1) 696.12(5) 3 3.70 \ 4.18<br />

In0.15SnBi1.85Te4 3 4.37380(7) 41.4294(7) 686.37(2) 3 3.48 \ 5.21<br />

Tl0.05SnBi1.95Te4 3 4.39009(6) 41.5146(7) 692.91(1) 3 3.81 \ 4.73<br />

Nb0.05SnBi1.95Te4 3 4.4012(2) 41.627(2) 698.29(8) 3 4.29 \ 7.81<br />

Ta0.05SnBi1.95Te4 3 4.387(1) 41.56(1) 693.0(6) 3 6.08 \ 6.81<br />

a RP |yo ‐ yc| / |yo|<br />

b RB |Io ‐Ic| / |Io|<br />

It is apparent from the structural refinements that clear changes to the cell size <strong>and</strong> volume<br />

have occurred with several different impurity elements. With all refinement showing R‐values below 10<br />

%, impurity inclusions should be considered successful. As intended, it can also be said that the Bi‐site<br />

replacements generally produced smaller unit cell sizes than their Sn counterparts.<br />

8.3.2. Electronic Structure Calculations<br />

Via the st<strong>and</strong>ard LMTO s<strong>of</strong>tware, predictions <strong>of</strong> the quaternary SnBi2Te4 samples could be<br />

performed <strong>and</strong> compared to one another. Of these calculations, several were selected <strong>and</strong> presented<br />

below in Figure 8.4 including a comparison <strong>of</strong> three triel elements on the Bi site, followed by increasing<br />

[Ga] on the Sn site <strong>and</strong> Bi site respectively. Calculations were run on a basis <strong>of</strong> 1000 evenly dispersed k<br />

points in the following symmetries: 3, 3, <strong>and</strong> 2/ depending on the size <strong>of</strong> the supercell used.<br />

(%)

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