Laser-sintered thin films of doped SiGe nanoparticles

We present a study of the morphology and the thermoelectric properties of short-pulse laser-sintered (LS) nanoparticle (NP) thin films, consisting of SiGe alloy NPs or composites of Si and Ge NPs. Laser-sintering of spin-coated NP films in vacuum results in a macroporous percolating network with a typical thickness of 300 nm. The Seebeck coefficient for LS samples is the same as for bulk samples prepared by current-assisted sintering and is typical for degenerate doping. The electrical conductivity of LS films is influenced by two-dimensional percolation effects and rises with increasing temperature, approximately following a power-law.