Response of thermoelectric parameters of Bi$_{0.5}$Sb$_{1.5}$Te$_{3}$ films to secondary recrystallization

Flash evaporation is used to grow Bi$_{0.5}$Sb$_{1.5}$Te$_{3}$ films 1200 nm thick on mica substrates. The average lateral crystallite sizes in the as-grown films are $\sim$800 nm. The (0001) plane in the crystallites is preferentially parallel to the substrate plane. After heat treatment in an argon atmosphere, the effective lateral size of crystallites in which the third-order axis is perpendicular to the substrate plane increased by a factor of 3–5. The crystallites were preferentially oriented in the substrate plane as well. The thermoelectric-power parameter of Bi$_{0.5}$Sb$_{1.5}$Te$_{3}$ films after their heat treatment in an inert environment increased approximately twofold to values close to that of the corresponding single crystals.