Growth of (Bi1-xSbx)2Te3 thin films by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition

The effects of VI/V ratio on electrical and thermoelectrical properties of p-type (Bi1-xSbx)(2)Te-3 elaborated by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) in horizontal quartz reactor are discussed. The deposited layers exhibit a polycrystalline structure and an improvement in the intensity is observed with increasing the VI/V ratio. The quality of the layers is measured by means of the Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalyser and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It is observed that the layers are stoichiometric when the VI/V ratio exceeds 3 and the surface texture is improved with increasing this ratio. The electrical properties of the thin films dependent on the VI/V ratio. The measurements of the Seebeck coefficient suggest a significant potential of MOCVD growth for large-scale production of thermoelectric materials. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.