Structural stability of thermoelectric diffusion barriers: Experimental results and first principles calculations

Hsiao Hsuan Hsu; Chun Hu Cheng; Yu Li Lin; Shan Haw Chiou; Chiung Hui Huang; Chin Pao Cheng

doi:10.1063/1.4817511

Structural stability of thermoelectric diffusion barriers: Experimental results and first principles calculations

Hsiao Hsuan Hsu, Chun Hu Cheng^*, Yu Li Lin, Shan Haw Chiou, Chiung Hui Huang, Chin Pao Cheng

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Mechatronic Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

16 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study demonstrates the feasibility of producing a tantalum nitride (TaN) thin film as a diffusion barrier and buffer layer for p-type bismuth telluride [(Bi,Sb)₂Te₃] thermoelectric devices. A network of TaN with nitrogen (N) incorporation is structurally more stable on (Bi,Sb)₂Te₃ than the conventional Ni diffusion barrier because of less inter-diffusion and a greater likelihood of stoichiometry in the TaN/(Bi,Sb)₂Te₃ interface. The atomic inter-diffusion between the barrier layers and (Bi,Sb)₂Te₃ was evaluated in terms of interface adhesion energy using nanoscratching, and proved with first-principles calculations.

Original language	English
Article number	053902
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	103
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4817511
Publication status	Published - 2013 Jul 29

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

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abstract = "This study demonstrates the feasibility of producing a tantalum nitride (TaN) thin film as a diffusion barrier and buffer layer for p-type bismuth telluride [(Bi,Sb)2Te3] thermoelectric devices. A network of TaN with nitrogen (N) incorporation is structurally more stable on (Bi,Sb)2Te3 than the conventional Ni diffusion barrier because of less inter-diffusion and a greater likelihood of stoichiometry in the TaN/(Bi,Sb)2Te3 interface. The atomic inter-diffusion between the barrier layers and (Bi,Sb)2Te3 was evaluated in terms of interface adhesion energy using nanoscratching, and proved with first-principles calculations.",

author = "Hsu, {Hsiao Hsuan} and Cheng, {Chun Hu} and Lin, {Yu Li} and Chiou, {Shan Haw} and Huang, {Chiung Hui} and Cheng, {Chin Pao}",

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T2 - Experimental results and first principles calculations

AU - Hsu, Hsiao Hsuan

AU - Cheng, Chun Hu

AU - Lin, Yu Li

AU - Chiou, Shan Haw

AU - Huang, Chiung Hui

AU - Cheng, Chin Pao

N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to thank the Bureau of Energy, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan, R.O.C., for its financial support.

PY - 2013/7/29

Y1 - 2013/7/29

N2 - This study demonstrates the feasibility of producing a tantalum nitride (TaN) thin film as a diffusion barrier and buffer layer for p-type bismuth telluride [(Bi,Sb)2Te3] thermoelectric devices. A network of TaN with nitrogen (N) incorporation is structurally more stable on (Bi,Sb)2Te3 than the conventional Ni diffusion barrier because of less inter-diffusion and a greater likelihood of stoichiometry in the TaN/(Bi,Sb)2Te3 interface. The atomic inter-diffusion between the barrier layers and (Bi,Sb)2Te3 was evaluated in terms of interface adhesion energy using nanoscratching, and proved with first-principles calculations.

AB - This study demonstrates the feasibility of producing a tantalum nitride (TaN) thin film as a diffusion barrier and buffer layer for p-type bismuth telluride [(Bi,Sb)2Te3] thermoelectric devices. A network of TaN with nitrogen (N) incorporation is structurally more stable on (Bi,Sb)2Te3 than the conventional Ni diffusion barrier because of less inter-diffusion and a greater likelihood of stoichiometry in the TaN/(Bi,Sb)2Te3 interface. The atomic inter-diffusion between the barrier layers and (Bi,Sb)2Te3 was evaluated in terms of interface adhesion energy using nanoscratching, and proved with first-principles calculations.

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Structural stability of thermoelectric diffusion barriers: Experimental results and first principles calculations

Abstract

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