Abstract:In this work, a Bi-Te-Ni-Fe complex coating material was obtained on magnesium oxide substrate by a single step ambient pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Nickel acetate, bismuth acetate, iron (III) nitrate, and tellurium (IV) chloride dissolved in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) served as the metal sources for Ni, Bi, Fe, and Te, respectively. Hydrogen was used as the carrier gas. The substrate was kept at 500 • C in a quartz tube reaction chamber. The chemical vapor deposition time was two hours. Scanning electron microscopic observation revealed porous morphology of the deposited material with a needle-like submicron fine structure. These needle-like entities form networks with fairly uniform distribution on the substrate. Thermoelectric property test showed that the coating is p-type with a Seebeck coefficient of 179 µV/K. Time-dependent potential data were obtained to show the sensitivity of the Seebeck effect to temperature changes.