From metastable to stable modifications-in situ Laue diffraction investigation of diffusion processes during the phase transitions of (GeTe)nSb2Te3 (6 < n < 15) crystals.

Temperature dependent phase transitions of compounds (GeTe)(n)Sb(2)Te(3) (n = 6, 12, 15) have been investigated by in situ microfocus Laue diffraction. Diffusion processes involving cation defect ordering at ~300 °C lead to different nanostructures which are correlated to changes of the thermoelectric characteristics. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012