title: High-temperature transport properties of complex antimonides with anti-Th3P4 structure.
abstract: Polycrystalline samples of R(4)Sb(3) (R = La, Ce, Sm and Yb) and Yb(4-x)R'(x)Sb(3) (R' = Sm and La) have been quantitatively synthesized by high-temperature reaction. They crystallize in the anti-Th(3)P(4) structure type (I43d, no. 220). Structural and chemical characterizations have been performed by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Powders have been densified by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1300 degrees C under 50 MPa of pressure. Transport property measurements show that these compounds are n-type with low Seebeck coefficient except for Yb(4)Sb(3) that shows a typical metallic behavior with hole conduction. By partially substituting Yb by a trivalent rare earth we successfully improved the thermoelectric figure of merit of Yb(4-x)R'(x)Sb(3) up to 0.75 at 1000 degrees C.
authors.affiliation: Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier, Equipe PMOF, UMR 5253 CNRS-ENSCM-UM2-UM1, Université Montpellier II, 34095, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chamoire
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gascoin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Estournès
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Caillat
authors.forename: J-C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Tédenac