Thermoelectric figure of merit of semimetal and semiconductor Bi1–xSbx alloy foils

The temperature dependencies of thermal conductivity χ(Т), electrical conductivity σ(Т), and thermopower α(Т) in foils of Bi1–xSbx alloys in the semimetal and semiconductor states, in a temperature range of 4.2–300 K, were experimentally studied. Foils of Bi1–xSbx alloys were prepared by high-speed crystallization of a thin layer of the melt on the polished inner surface of a rotating copper cylinder. High crystallization rates (v = 5 × 105 m/s) enabled a uniform distribution of the components throughout the volume. The thickness of the foils was 10–30 μm with the texture 101¯2 parallel to the foil plane and the С3 axis coinciding with the normal to the foil surface. It was shown that, in the low-temperature range (T