INFLUENCE OF IONIZING IRRADIATION

ON THE PROPERTIES OF THERMOELECTRIC COOLERS

K. A. Askerov, R. Yu. Aliyev, J. I. Karayev

Institute of Photoelectronics of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, Baku, Azerbaijan

Influence of ionizing irradiation of different kinds on the thermoelectrical parameters of the thermoelements on the base of Bi2Te3—Bi2Se3 and Bi2Te3—Sb2Te3 systems solid solutions have been investigated. To ascertain the mechanism of the action of irradiation on thermoelectrical parameters of TEC, previously the influence of these irradiation on the properties of crystals also was studied. Tte samples investigated were obtained by the oriented crystallization method — Bridgman technique and subjected to action of gamma-irradiation in the range of fluencies 106—108 R, electron irradiation of 25 MeV energy in fluency range 1013—1014 cm-2 and pulse gamma-neutron irradiation in fluency range 1013—1014 cm-2. It is shown that irradiation by gamma-neutrons up to fluencies 1014 cm-2 leads to increasing of D T max of TEM, as well as efficiency of n- and p-branches of thermoelements. This fact permits to suppose, that such variations of D T max are due both to decreasing of resistance of transitional contacts and increasing of thermoelectric figure of merit of the thermoelectric material itself. This results obtained are indicated that variations of D T max for TEM under irradiation are due both to variations of thermoelement branches parameters and the resistance of transitional contacts.