Thermopower in Quasi‐Two‐Dimensional Semiconductor Quantum Well Structures

Abstract

Abstract Expressions for the thermopower in quasi‐two‐dimensional semiconductor quantum well structures are obtained in the extreme quantum limit when electrons are scattered by acoustic phonons via deformation potential coupling, polar optical phonons, and ionized impurities. Numerical results are given for the size dependence of thermopower. It is found to be enhanced over its bulk value for lower values of well thickness. The contributions from individual scattering mechanisms are found to increase with the increase of temperature.