Bohra, A. K.; Ahmad, S.; Bhatt, R.; Bhattacharya, S.; Basu, R.; Sarkar, P.; Meshram, K. N.; Debnath, A. K.; Bhatt, P.; Patro, P. K.; Dasgupta, K.; Muthe, K. P.; and others (TPD;ApSD;SSPD;PMD;MMD)
Source
Physica Status Solidi - Rapid Research Letters, 2019. Vol. 13: Article no. 1900121
ABSTRACT
Bismuth telluride based alloys are electronic semiconductors, which exhibit n- or p-type conduction due to the formation of Te vacancies or antisite defects, i.e., substitution of Bi on Te site or vice versa. Here, it is demonstrated that the temperature dependent Seebeck coefficient of Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 exhibits a reversible change in conduction from p- to n-type at temperatures >487 K without exhibiting any structural transformation. The detailed characterization revealed that conversion of BiTe/Se antisite defects into Te vacancies is responsible for the p–n transition. The observed p–n transition makes Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 an ideal candidate for temperature controlled electronic switches.