Year: 2012
Type: article
Abstract: The thermoelectric efficiency of semiconductors is usually considered in the ohmic electronic transport regime, which is achieved through high doping. Here we consider the opposite regime of low doping where the current-voltage characteristics are nonlinear and dominated by space-charge-limited transport. We show that in this regime, the thermoelectric efficiency can be described by a single figure of merit, in analogy with the ohmic case. Efficiencies for bulk, thin-film, and nanowire materials are discussed, and it is proposed that nanowires are the most promising to take advantage of space-charge-limited transport for thermoelectrics.
Source: Physical Review B
Author: François Léonard
Institution: Sandia National Laboratories California
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2012968071