Low-Temperature Synthesis and Thermoelectric Properties of n-Type PbTe

n-Type PbTe compounds were synthesized at temperatures as low as 430A degrees C. After synthesis, the materials were ground, cold pressed, and sintered at 600A degrees C. The effect of this low-temperature synthesis on the structural features and thermoelectric properties of as-prepared and PbI2-doped materials was investigated for the first time. The Seebeck coefficient, and electrical and thermal conductivity were measured in the temperature range 2 K a parts per thousand currency sign T a parts per thousand currency sign 610 K. The results show that all materials exhibit n-type conduction and the thermoelectric properties are improved by doping. ZT values reach 0.5 at 610 K, and the discrepancies with the literature are discussed.