Work

Morphology of Melt-Quenched Lead Telluride Single Crystals

Year: 2021

Type: article

Abstract: Metastable single crystals of nonstoichiometric Pb1–xTe are obtained by rapid cooling from the melt. The composition and crystallographic morphology are studied using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and electron backscatter diffraction. Most single crystals have cubic, pyramidal, or hemispherical shapes with sizes ranging from 50 to 400 μm. All crystals adopt the same face-centered cubic rock salt structure, and the crystal growth direction is ⟨100⟩. The bulk part of the rapidly cooled material solidifies in the form of a Te-rich polycrystalline material in which grains are separated by the PbTe–Te eutectic phase. The stabilization of nonstoichiometric Pb1–xTe provides further scope for the optimization of lead telluride-based thermoelectric materials.

Source: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c20016

Authors: Hong Lian, Václav Ocelík, Jacob Baas, Graeme R. Blake

Institutions: University of Groningen, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $5,000

Funder: China Scholarship Council