Obtaining Contact Systems to Thermoelements Using Various Methods of Vacuum Deposition of Metals

Abstract

Taking into account the main criteria for quality contacts for thermoelements (high adhesion strength and low contact resistance), methods were developed for formation contact systems by vacuum deposition of metals. Methods of mechanical treatment and cleaning of sample surface of thermoelectric materials (Bi2Te2.8Se0.2 and Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3) before vacuum deposition of thin films were proposed. Modes for obtaining Ni contacts by magnetron sputtering and electron beam evaporation were worked out. The technique was developed to determine contact resistance. Nickel contact systems with a thickness of 300 nm were obtained with average values of adhesion strength up to 21.5 MPa, with its maximum values up to 23.0 MPa. It was established that contact systems formed by magnetron sputtering have an adhesion strength 15-20% higher than contacts formed by electron beam evaporation. The specific contact resistance of the contact systems was at the level of 10-9 Ohm*m2.