Thermoelectric performance in n-type bulk silicon: The influence of dopant concentration and dopant species

Bennett, NS

Thermoelectric performance in n-type bulk silicon: The influence of dopant concentration and dopant species

Bennett, NS

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Publisher:: WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Physica Status Solidi (A) Applications and Materials Science, 2017, 214, (7), pp. 1-5
Issue Date:: 2017-07-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Bennett, NS
dc.date.accessioned	2022-08-17T02:59:19Z
dc.date.available	2022-08-17T02:59:19Z
dc.date.issued	2017-07-01
dc.identifier.citation	Physica Status Solidi (A) Applications and Materials Science, 2017, 214, (7), pp. 1-5
dc.identifier.issn	1862-6300
dc.identifier.issn	1862-6319
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/160413
dc.description.abstract	Silicon (Si) has received recent interest for thermoelectric (TE) applications. For all TE materials, accurately tuning the doping concentration remains the easiest way to maximise the thermoelectric figure-of-merit (ZT). This study investigates the thermoelectric properties at 300 K of n-type Si as a function of both dopant concentration (N ∼1019–1020cm−3) and dopant species (P, As and Sb), including measurements of electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity, Seebeck coefficient and Hall mobility. All properties were found to vary as a function of both doping concentration and species, leading to impacts on the ZT. The electrical resistivity was lowest for P-doped Si and highest in Sb-doped Si. For the Seebeck coefficient, the situation was reversed. The thermal conductivity was lowest for Sb-doping and highest in P-doped Si. In all cases As-doping was the intermediate dopant. An optimum doping concentration was realized at a value of ∼6–7 × 1019cm−3, and is similar for both As- and P-doped Si. For Sb-doping, the optimum value is likely to be similar, but the highest doping in commercially available wafers was ∼4 × 1019cm−3. At 300 K, ZT ∼0.010 is achieved for P-doped bulk Si, however the best overall value was for As-doped Si, at ∼0.013. For Sb doping the best value is ∼0.012, though a higher value is likely to be possible, but only if doping levels approximately double the concentrations available for this current study can be achieved in starting substrates. These results provide a useful insight for researchers who are selecting a starting substrate for top-down nano-structuring approaches to Si thermoelectrics, where a wafer with optimised ZT is required.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH
dc.relation	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research CouncilEP/N03516X/1
dc.relation.ispartof	Physica Status Solidi (A) Applications and Materials Science
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1002/pssa.201700307
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	0204 Condensed Matter Physics, 0912 Materials Engineering, 1007 Nanotechnology
dc.subject.classification	Applied Physics
dc.title	Thermoelectric performance in n-type bulk silicon: The influence of dopant concentration and dopant species
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	214
utslib.location.activity	REP OF GEORGIA
utslib.for	0204 Condensed Matter Physics
utslib.for	0912 Materials Engineering
utslib.for	1007 Nanotechnology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2022-08-17T02:59:18Z
pubs.issue	7
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	214
utslib.citation.issue	7

Abstract:

Silicon (Si) has received recent interest for thermoelectric (TE) applications. For all TE materials, accurately tuning the doping concentration remains the easiest way to maximise the thermoelectric figure-of-merit (ZT). This study investigates the thermoelectric properties at 300 K of n-type Si as a function of both dopant concentration (N ∼1019–1020cm−3) and dopant species (P, As and Sb), including measurements of electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity, Seebeck coefficient and Hall mobility. All properties were found to vary as a function of both doping concentration and species, leading to impacts on the ZT. The electrical resistivity was lowest for P-doped Si and highest in Sb-doped Si. For the Seebeck coefficient, the situation was reversed. The thermal conductivity was lowest for Sb-doping and highest in P-doped Si. In all cases As-doping was the intermediate dopant. An optimum doping concentration was realized at a value of ∼6–7 × 1019cm−3, and is similar for both As- and P-doped Si. For Sb-doping, the optimum value is likely to be similar, but the highest doping in commercially available wafers was ∼4 × 1019cm−3. At 300 K, ZT ∼0.010 is achieved for P-doped bulk Si, however the best overall value was for As-doped Si, at ∼0.013. For Sb doping the best value is ∼0.012, though a higher value is likely to be possible, but only if doping levels approximately double the concentrations available for this current study can be achieved in starting substrates. These results provide a useful insight for researchers who are selecting a starting substrate for top-down nano-structuring approaches to Si thermoelectrics, where a wafer with optimised ZT is required.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/160413