Electrical Properties of Tellurium at the Melting Point and in the Liquid State

Abstract

The electrical resistivity, the Hall coefficient, and the thermoelectric power of spectroscopically pure tellurium decrease abruptly on melting. The Hall coefficient and the thermoelectric power remain positive above the melting point up to approximately 575°C where they reverse their sign and above which they remain negative up to the highest temperatures measured. The resistivity continues to decrease with rising temperature in the liquid until it approaches a constant value at about 650°C. The experimental results indicate that semiconducting properties persist in the liquid state and that a gradual transition to metallic conduction takes place at higher temperatures.