Invited Paper: Composition-Dependent Electrical Properties of Ternary AgxSb1-xTey Thin Films Synthesized by Cationic Exchange Reaction

Abstract

Ternary silver antimony telluride (AgxSb1-xTey) thin films with tailored compositions were synthesized by a cationic exchange reaction of thermally evaporated antimony telluride thin films, as a simple and cost-effective approach. The composition of AgxSb1-xTey thin films was controlled by the reaction time. Temperature-dependent electrical properties of the AgxSb1-xTey thin films demonstrated phase transition behavior from 323 K to 343 K. The composition-dependent thermoelectric properties (i.e., electrical resistivity (rho), Seebeck coefficient (S) and power factor (S(2)p)) of the as-deposited Sb54Te46, the transformed AgxSb1-x,Te-y and the annealed AgxSb1-xTey. thin films were investigated as a function of temperature.