Electronic and thermoelectric properties of nanograting layers

Abstract

Recently, new quantum features have been observed and studied in the area of nanostructured layers. Nanograting (NG) on the surface of the thin layer imposes additional boundary conditions on electron wave function and forbids some quantum states. Electrons, rejected from the forbidden quantum states, have to occupy states with higher energy. In the case of semiconductor materials, electrons rejected from the valence band have to occupy empty quantum states in the conduction band. Such increase in conduction band electron concentration n can be termed as geometry-induced doping or G-doping. G-doping is equivalent to donor doping from the point of view of the increase in n. However, there are no ionized impurities. This preserves charge carrier scattering to the intrinsic semiconductor level and increases carrier mobility. G-doping involves electron confinement to NG layer. Here, we investigate the system of multiple NG layers forming a series of homo junctions. Si and GaAs homojunctions were studied and G-doping levels of 1018-1019 cm−3 were obtained. We also study a system composed of NG layer and an additional top layer forming periodic series of p-n junctions. In such system, charge depletion region develops inside the NG and its effective depth reduces, becoming a rather strong function of temperature T. Consequently, T-dependence of chemical potential magnifies and Seebeck coefficient S increases. We investigate S in the system of semiconductor NG layer having abrupt p-n junctions on the top of the grating. Analysis made on the basis of Boltzmann transport equations shows dramatic increase in S. At the same time, other transport coefficients remain unaffected by the junctions. Calculations show one order of magnitude increase in the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT relative to bulk material.