(Institute of Thermoelectricity, 2014) Menshikova, S. I.; Rogacheva, E. I.; Sipatov, A. Yu.; Matychenko, P. V.; Dobrotvorskaya, M. V.
Dependences of thermoelectric properties (the Seebeck coefficient S, the electric conductivity σ, the Hall coefficient RH, the carrier mobilityμ and the thermoelectric power P = S²·σ) on the thickness d (d = 10 – 255 nm) of thin films prepared by vacuum evaporation of indiumdoped PbTe crystals and subsequent condensation on (111) BaF₂ substrates were obtained. With decreasing thickness of films to d ≈ 40 nm, there is n- to p-type inversion of conduction which is related to a change in thermodynamic equilibrium conditions and partial reevaporation of lead and/or indium atoms. Extremes were found on the thickness dependences of properties at d₁ ≈ 20 nm which is indicative of hole gas quantization. In the range of thicknesses with n-type conduction there is a smooth change in thermoelectric properties with thickness which testifies to manifestation of classical size effect and is sufficiently well described in the framework of the Fuchs-Sondheimer theory.
