THE SINTERING OF LEAD-TELLURIDE

Scanning electron micrographs, carrier concentration and mobility measurements of sintered doped and undoped p-type PbTe powder compacts are presented as the basis for a qualitative description of the origin of the electrical property change which takes place in powder technique fabrication. A tentative explanation of the changes in the electrical and analogously in thermoelectrical properties, has been given as being due to an increase of the dislocation density when crushing and pressing take place. These dislocations produce a large concentration of electrically different active point defects when they intersect. An additional n-type carrier increase, during firing, confirms this hypothesis.