Thermoelectric Properties of Stoichiometric Compounds in the (SnTe)x(Bi2Te3)y System

Various compounds in the (SnTe)x(Bi2Te3)y series are explored by a number of techniques including diffractometry and physical property measurements. Through variation in the x and y integers, one is able to obtain a series of ternary compounds: SnBi2Te4, SnBi4Te7, SnBi6Te10, and Sn2Bi2Te5 each show complex layering motifs similar to that of Bi2Te3. These compounds' increased complexity makes them of interest with respect to thermoelectric studies. The ZT values for cold-pressed annealed pellets are at room temperature 0.33 for SnBi2Te4, 0.27 for SnBi4Te7, and 0.15 for SnBi6Te10.