Abstract
The V-VI semiconductor Sb2(Se,Te)3 is promising for photovoltaic application as well as showing potential for room-temperature thermoelectric materials. In this study, large-scale single-crystalline Sb2(Se,Te)3 crystals are synthesized using the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) process that molten Selenium and Tellurium provide vapor source while the Antimony serves as solid catalyst. The belt-like Sb2(Se,Te)3 crystals show ultra-long lengths up to the order of centimeter(~1cm) and have widths of 200~400 nm. Powder X-ray diffraction pattern and electron diffraction pattern obtained by using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) further suggest that the Sb2(Se,Te)3 crystals are oriented along the [010] crystallographic direction, and this preferred orientation is rarely reported for a orthorhombic Sb2(Se,Te)3 that exhibits relatively stronger Se-Sb bounding along its c-axis. The electrical resistivity and Seebeck coefficient are also measured at 300K, and both show dramatically high values (S~104μV/K, ρ~103Ωcm), resulting in a moderate power factor (S2/ρ) at room temperature.