Thermoelectric properties of topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}, Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3}, and Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3} thin film quantum wells

Journal Article · Mon Sep 22 04:00:00 EDT 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4896680· OSTI ID:22350765

Osterhage, Hermann; Gooth, Johannes; Hamdou, Bacel; Gwozdz, Paul; Zierold, Robert; Nielsch, Kornelius ^[1]

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1. Institute of Applied Physics, Universität Hamburg, Jungiusstrasse 11, 20355 Hamburg (Germany)

The thermoelectric (TE) figure of merit ZT of topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}, Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3}, and Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3} thin film quantum wells is calculated for thicknesses below 10 nm, for which hybridization of the surface states as well as quantum confinement in the bulk are individually predicted to enhance ZT. Here, the question is addressed what ZT can be expected from coexisting surface and bulk states in such quantum wells. It is demonstrated that the parallel contributing bulk and surface channels tend to cancel each other out. This is because the surface-to-volume ratios of the thin films prevent the domination of transport through a single channel and because the individual bulk and surface ZTs are optimized at different Fermi levels.

• OSTI ID: 22350765
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 105; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ANTIMONY TELLURIDES
BISMUTH SELENIDES
BISMUTH TELLURIDES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
FERMI LEVEL
NANOSTRUCTURES
QUANTUM WELLS
SURFACES
THERMOELECTRIC PROPERTIES
THICKNESS
THIN FILMS
TOPOLOGY