Microstructural features and deformation-induced lattice defects in hot-extruded Bi2Te3 thermoelectric compound

Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) bulk material was prepared by a powder hot-extrusion technique. The microstructure, texture evolution, and deformation-induced lattice defects, as well as the effect of heat treatment on its microstructure and thermoelectric properties were investigated. As-extruded Bi2Te3 compound was found to be characterized by a dynamically and statically recrystallized microstructure with fine-equiaxed grains and low dislocation density. The majority of boundaries in the extruded specimens were large-angle boundaries with average misorientation angles of more than 30°. There was no significant change in dislocation configuration, even after heat treatment at a temperature higher than the extrusion temperature. Moreover, the Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity of the extruded specimens could not be improved by annealing. Microstructural examinations indicated the existence of a deformation-induced stacking disorder with local atomic shift, which we term “phase disorder,” on the basal plane in the extruded Bi2Te3 compound. The presence of this structural defect may be one of the main reasons for the slightly lower values of thermoelectric properties for the hot-extruded Bi2Te3 compound, compared with a unidirectionally solidified specimen.