Mechanical and Thermoelectric Properties of Bulk AlSb Synthesized by Controlled Melting, Pulverizing and Subsequent Vacuum Hot Pressing

Abstract

Aluminum antimonide is a semiconductor of the Group III-V order. With a wide indirect band gap, AlSb is one of the least discovered of this family of semiconductors. Bulk synthesis of AlSb has been reported on numerous occasions, but obtaining a single phase has always proven to be extremely difficult. This work reports a simple method for the synthesis of single-phase AlSb. Subsequently, consolidation was done into a near single-phase highly dense semiconductor in a form usable for thermoelectric applications. Further, the thermoelectric properties of this system are accounted for the first time. In addition, the mechanical properties of the intermetallic compound are briefly discussed for a possibility of further use.

Improvement of Thermoelectric Properties of AlSb by Incorporation of Mg as p-type Dopant

“…During VHP, further alloying occurs, leaving only small traces of antimony within the AlSb matrix. The excessive Sb may have resulted from the loss of aluminum or magnesium through oxidation [11]. The secondary peaks of Sb were not seen for x = 0.015 and 0.020.…”

“…2b for VHPed Al 0.995 Mg 0.005 Sb. The characteristic lamellar structure of sphalerite AlSb is visible in the microstructure [11]. To further confirm the synthesis of Mg doping, line mapping was conducted using EDX.…”

“…5-15 mm, 99.9%, Aldrich) and Sb (ca. 2 mm, 99.999%, Kojundo) were weighed and loaded into a graphite crucible with screw lid as outlined in [11]. The inner wall was coated with boron-nitride (BN).…”

“…The system has been extensively studied for solar cells [6] and Li-ion batteries [7][8][9][10]. The synthesis of bulk single phase polycrystalline AlSb was recently reported by controlled melting [11] and mechanical alloying (MA) [12] followed by vacuum hot pressing (VHP). The tuning of carrier concentration has played a major role in determining the TE properties of the semiconductor, as seen in the different synthetic studies.…”

Novel TiO2/GO-Al2O3 Hollow Fiber Nanofiltration Membrane for Desalination and Lignin Recovery

“…146) [ 29 , 39 ]. Because the detection limit of the majority of XRDs is up to 5% by weight [ 40 , 41 ], trace levels of GO at a more high angle might have gone undetected. These findings validate the presence of the TiO 2 and GO layer that was deposited on the Al 2 O 3 HF support.…”