Fig. 2: Multiscale microstructure characterization.
From: Metavalently bonded tellurides: the essence of improved thermoelectric performance in elemental Te
Analytical techniques spanning multiple chemical sensitivities were used to investigate the microstructural features of three representative Te0.98M0.02 materials (M = As, Sb, and Bi). a–c The XRD patterns of the doped Te powders. d–f The SEM-EDS results of the polished doped samples, which show the presence of numerous embedded telluride precipitates (consisting of approximately 60 at.% Te and 40 at.% M, i.e., M2Te3-type, M = As, Sb, and Bi). g–i Distribution of elements in the Te matrix region of the doped samples characterized by APT with a much higher spatial resolution and chemical sensitivity (ppm level) than XRD and EDS. In the APT images, green, fuchsine, blue, and yellow dots represent Te, As, Sb, and Bi atoms, respectively.
