EFFECT OF QUANTUM-WELL STRUCTURES ON THE THERMOELECTRIC FIGURE OF MERIT
EFFECT OF QUANTUM-WELL STRUCTURES ON THE THERMOELECTRIC FIGURE OF MERIT
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DOI：
10.1103/physrevb.47.12727
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发表时间：
1993-05-15
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
DRESSELHAUS, MS
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
HICKS, LD;DRESSELHAUS, MS
目前具有最高热电优值Z的材料是Bi2Te3合金。因此，这些化合物是最好的热电制冷元件。然而，自20世纪60年代以来，无论是在Bi2Te3合金还是在其他热电材料中，在提高Z方面都只取得了缓慢的进展。到目前为止，应用中使用的材料都是散装形式。在本文中，它是可能的，它可能会增加某些材料的Z通过制备它们在量子阱超晶格结构。计算已经完成，以调查这种方法的潜力，并评估各向异性的影响的品质因数。计算结果表明，分层有可能显着增加一个高度各向异性的材料，如Bi2Te3的品质因数，只要超晶格多层膜是在一个特定的方向。这一结果打开了使用量子阱超晶格结构来提高热电冷却器性能的可能性。
Currently the materials with the highest thermoelectric figure of merit Z are Bi2Te3 alloys. Therefore these compounds are the best thermoelectric refrigeration elements. However, since the 1960s only slow progress has been made in enhancing Z, either in Bi2Te3 alloys or in other thermoelectric materials. So far, the materials used in applications have all been in bulk form. In this paper, it is proposed that it may be possible to increase Z of certain materials by preparing them in quantum-well superlattice structures. Calculations have been done to investigate the potential for such an approach, and also to evaluate the effect of anisotropy on the figure of merit. The calculations show that layering has the potential to increase significantly the figure of merit of a highly anisotropic material such as Bi2Te3, provided that the superlattice multilayers are made in a particular orientation. This result opens the possibility of using quantum-well superlattice structures to enhance the performance of thermoelectric coolers.