Insights into the Electrodeposition of Bi2Te3

In this paper, the processes associated with the electrodeposition of bismuth telluride (Bi 2 Te 3 ), a thermoelectric material, are reported along with an analysis of the composition and crystallinity of the resulting films. The electrodeposition can be described by the general reaction 3HTeO 2 + + 2Bi 3+ + 18e - + 9H + → Bi 2 Te 3 + 6H 2 O. Cyclic voltammetry studies of Bi, Te, and Bi/Te dissolved in I M HNO 3 reveal two different underlying processes depending on the deposition potential. One process involves the reduction of HTeO + 2 to Te 0 and a subsequent interaction between reduced Te 0 and Bi 3+ to form Bi 2 Te 3 . A second process at more negative reduction potentials involves reduction of HTeO + 2 to H 2 Te followed by the chemical interaction with Bi 3+ . Both processes result in the production of crystalline Bi 2 Te 3 films in the potential range -0.1 < E < -0.52 V vs. Ag/AgCl (3 M NaCI) on Pt substrates as determined by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Electron probe microanalyses and XRD reveal that the films are bismuth-rich and less oriented for more negative deposition potentials.

[1]  O. Vittori,et al.  Electrochemical behaviour of tellurium and silver telluride at rotating glassy carbon electrode , 1988 .

[2]  M. Pourbaix.  Atlas of Electrochemical Equilibria in Aqueous Solutions , 1974 .

[3]  H. Takenouti,et al.  CdTe electrodeposition: Some new data from AC impedance , 1986 .

[4]  J. Reynolds,et al.  Aqueous electrochemistry of tellurium at glassy carbon and gold: A combined voltammetry-oscillating quartz crystal microgravimetry study , 1988 .

[5]  K. Rajeshwar,et al.  The kinetics of electrocrystallization of tellurium and cadmium telluride at the glassy carbon surface , 1989 .

[6]  A. Bard,et al.  Standard Potentials in Aqueous Solution , 1985 .

[7]  Takaaki Koga,et al.  Low-dimensional thermoelectric materials , 1999, Flexible Thermoelectric Polymers and Systems.

[8]  Pierre Magri,et al.  Synthesis, properties and performances of electrodeposited bismuth telluride films , 1996 .

[9]  F. D. Rosi,et al.  Compound tellurides and their alloys for peltier cooling—A review , 1972 .

[10]  Charles R. Martin,et al.  Template Synthesis of Bismuth Telluride Nanowires , 1999 .

[11]  W. B. Gosney.  Principles of Refrigeration , 1982 .

[12]  G. Lisensky,et al.  Thermoelectric Devices: Solid-State Refrigerators and Electrical Generators in the Classroom , 1996 .

[13]  C. Boulanger,et al.  Electrodeposition of Bi2Te3 films , 1994 .

[14]  K. Rajeshwar,et al.  A re-examination of the mechanisms of electrodeposition of CdX and ZnX (X = Se, Te) semiconductors by the cyclic photovoltammetric technique , 1989 .

[15]  Wanjun Wang,et al.  Microfabrication of high aspect ratio Bi–Te alloy microposts and applications in micro-sized cooling probes , 1999 .

[16]  Sunglae Cho,et al.  Transport properties of Bi 1−x Sb x alloy thin films grown on CdTe(111)B , 1999 .

[17]  Mildred S. Dresselhaus,et al.  Effect of quantum-well structures on the thermoelectric figure of merit. , 1993, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[18]  M. P. R. Panicker,et al.  Cathodic Deposition of CdTe from Aqueous Electrolytes , 1978 .

[19]  F. A. Kröger.  Cathodic Deposition and Characterization of Metallic or Semiconducting Binary Alloys or Compounds , 1978 .

[20]  M. Dresselhaus,et al.  Mechanism of the enhanced thermoelectric power in (111)-oriented n-type PbTe/Pb_{1-x}Eu_{x}Te multiple quantum wells , 1999 .

[21]  P. J. Taylor,et al.  Thermoelectric quantum-dot superlattices with high ZT , 2000 .

[22]  M. Dresselhaus,et al.  High Spatial Resolution Assessment of the Structure, Composition, and Electronic Properties of Nanowire Arrays , 2000 .

[23]  F. A. Kröger,et al.  The Defect Structure of Phosphorus‐Doped CdTe , 1977 .

[24]  Takayuki Ogino,et al.  Electrodeposition of Bi‐Te Alloy Films , 1993 .

[25]  M. Manfra,et al.  High thermoelectric figures of merit in PbTe quantum wells , 1996 .

[26]  C. Sella,et al.  The Electrodeposition Mechanism of CdTe from Acidic Aqueous Solutions , 1986 .

[27]  Mildred S. Dresselhaus,et al.  Effect of quantum-well structures on the thermoelectric figure of merit. , 1993, Physical Review B (Condensed Matter).

[28]  R. Engelken.  Ionic Electrodeposition of II–VI and III–V Compounds IV . Deposition of Both Elements and Compound Positive of the Pure Element Reversible Potentials: Pure Underpotential Deposition , 1985 .

[29]  M. Dresselhaus,et al.  Thermoelectric figure of merit of a one-dimensional conductor. , 1993, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[30]  M. P. Walsh,et al.  PbTe/Te superlattice structures with enhanced thermoelectric figures of merit , 1999 .

[31]  K. Uosaki,et al.  Composition and electronic properties of electrochemically deposited CdTe films , 1984 .

[32]  Allen J. Bard,et al.  Encyclopedia of Electrochemistry of the Elements , 1978 .