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Experimental Study of the Effect of the Quantum Well Structures on the Thermoelectric Figure of Merit in Si/Si1-xGex System

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

X. Sun ,
J. Liu ,
S. B. Cronin ,
K. L. Wang ,
G. Chen ,
T. Koga  and
M. S. Dresselhaus
X. Sun
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
J. Liu
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024
S. B. Cronin
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
K. L. Wang
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024
G. Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024
T. Koga
Affiliation:
Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
M. S. Dresselhaus
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
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Abstract

In bulk form, Si1-xGex is a promising thermoelectric material for high temperature applications. In this paper, we report results from an experimental study as well as theoretical modeling of the quantum confinement effect on the enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit. Si/Si1-xGex, multiple quantum well structures are fabricated using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on SOI (Silicon-on-Insulator) substrates in order to eliminate substrate effects, especially on the Seebeck coefficient. A method to eliminate the influence of the buffer layer on the thermoelectric characterization is presented. An enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit within the quantum well over the bulk value is observed.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 545: Symposium Z – Thermoelectric Materials 1998 - The Next Generation… , 1998 , 369
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1999

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