THERMOELECTRIC BORON-CARBON ALLOYS PREPARED FROM ORGANOBORON PRECURSORS

BORON-CARBON ALLOYS OVER THE SINGLE PHASE REGION B9C TO B4C EXHIBIT VERY UNUSUAL SEMICONDUCTOR PROPERTIES THAT ARE ATTRACTIVE FOR MANY APPLICATIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, BOTH THE SEEBECK COEFFICIENT AND THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY INCREASE WITH TEMPERATURE, WHICH MAKES THESE ALLOYS ATTRACTIVE FOR THERMOELECTRIC ENERGY CONVERSION. THESE ANOMALOUS SEMICONDUCTOR PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE DEPENDENT ON THE: B/C RATIO, THE DISORDER (ESPECIALLY TWINNING), AND CERTAIN OTHER ALLOYING ADDITIONS. THE CHARACTERIZATION OF THESE ALLOYS IS PLAGUED BY THE FACT THAT THE SAMPLES LACK HOMOGENEITY WHEN EXAMINED BY MICRO METALLURGICAL TECHNIQUES SUCH AS TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY (TEM) AND AUGER ANALYSIS. THE PROPOSED INNOVATIVE PROGRAM WILL PRODUCE A PROCESS FOR FABRICATING B-C ALLOYS WITH ORGANOBORON PRECURSORS SO THE COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE CAN BE TAILORED AND THE ANOMALOUS MECHANISMS UNIQUE TO THESE SEMICONDUCTORS CAN BE FURTHER EXPLAINED. THE PAYOFF IS IN DEVELOPING A MANUFACTURING PROCESS FOR FABRICATING SEMICONDUCTORS WITH ELECTRONIC PROPERTIES AND THERMAL STABILITY THAT ARE UNAVAILABLE TODAY. OTHER BORIDES (B12A1, GDB66, B12AS, B13P2, ETC.) ARE EXPECTED TO BENEFIT FROM THIS PROCESS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.