Study on the thermoelectric properties of CVD SiC deposited with inert gases

We deposited silicon carbide (SiC) by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method using the inert gases Ar and He. It was confirmed that SiC deposited with inert gases had a porous microstructure and high carbon content. We also studied the thermoelectric properties. SiC deposited with He gas had lower electrical and thermal conductivity compared with SiC deposited with Ar gas. Both samples using Ar and He exhibited a negative Seebeck coefficient, indicating n-type semiconductor behavior. The calculated figure of merit (Z) of SiC deposited with inert gases was improved compared with SiC deposited with H ₂ or N ₂ gas. The value for SiC deposited with He was higher than that for SiC deposited with Ar. The thermoelectric properties of porous silicon carbide deposited with inert gases were also compared with those of silicon carbide deposited with hydrogen or nitrogen gas.