Seebeck Effect

Seebeck Effect
o

1821 Thomas Seebeck found that an electric current would flow

continuously in a closed circuit made up of two dissimilar metals if the
junctions of the metals were maintained at two different temperatures.

JCE(1996) 73, 940

Peltier Effect
o

In 1834, a French watchmaker and part time physicist, Jean Peltier found
that an electrical current would produce a temperature gradient at the
junction of two dissimilar metals

Twenty years later, William Thomson (Lord

Kelvin) issued a comprehensive explanation of the
Seebeck and Peltier Effects and described their
interrelationship.

RTG
Galileo
Launched in 1989
arrived at Jupiter on December 7, 1995

Composition of Thermoelectric Materials

For greatest cooling efficiency you need a material

that:
o
o

conducts electricity well (like metal)

conducts heat poorly(like glass)

Bismuth telluride is the standard with ZT (figure of

merit) of 1
o
o

to match a refrigerator you need ZT=4 - 5

to recover waste heat from car ZT = 2

Search for New Thermoelectric Materials

Skutterudites - minerals from Norway with

iridium, cobalt, or rhodium combined with
phosphorus, arsenic, or antimony.
o

Vacancies that can be filled with other atoms

loose atoms disrupt vibrations that carry heat
lanthanum, nedoymium, gadolinium

Quasicrystals
o
o

low thermal conductivity

tunable electric properties

Delocalized Bonding Model

Conduction band
Valence band

Autoionization Analogy
heat +
As T ? h+ ?

Doping
Silicon - relative concentrations of n and p is changed by substituting impurity
atoms of similar size but with more or less valence electrons than the atom
comprising the crystal (dopants).
Water - relative concentration of [H+] and [OH-] is changed by adding acids or
bases.

Donors

add valence electrons (increase n)

n-type semiconductors

common examples in silicon - P or As

D ? D+ + e-

Donors in delocalized bond model

Conduction band
Valence band
Electrons
primary carrier
Donor level

p-n Junction
p
n

What happens if we bring a p-type semiconductor

in contact with a n-type semiconductor?
Electrons close to the junction diffuse across the
junction into the p-type region. Holes are filled by
recombination.

Equilibrium is established resulting in a potential difference.

If the two regions are connected in a circuit a variety of applications are possible.

Energy-diagram of p-n junction

Java Applet
When p-type and n-type semiconductors touch, the Fermi levels do not align until
equilibrium is reached.

p-n Junction

Applications
o
o
o
o

solar cells
photodiodes
LEDs
diode lasers

Biasing the p-n Junction

Biasing - introduction of a voltage into the circuit

containing the p-n junction.
Forward bias - negative voltage is applied to n-type
side. Decreases energy barrier for electrons and
holes to flow through the junction.
Reverse bias - positive voltage applied to n-type
side. Raises energy barrier for current flow.