The Thermopower in Semiconducting Thin Films With Nonparabolic Energy Band

Abstract

In the present work, the in-plane electron thermopower of semiconducting size-quantized films with nonparabolic energy band in a classically strong magnetic field, which is parallel to the film normal, are investigated. It was shown that, for the degenerate electron gas thermopower is a function of film thickness and electron density: for arbitrary thickness thermopower is oscillating function, with the period as a function of concentration, but with respect to concentration thermopower is monotonically increasing function. It is shown that in the case of ultrathin films (quantum wells) thermopower increases, as thickness decreases. This result is in agreement with the experimental dates on GaAs quantum wells.