Thermoelectric Effects: Semiclassical and Quantum Approaches from the Boltzmann Transport Equation

The thermoelectric efficiency of a material depends on its electronic and phononic properties. It is normally given in terms of the dimensionless figure of merit Z T = σ S 2 T ∕ κ. The parameters involved in Z T are the electrical conductivity σ, the Seebeck coefficient S, and the thermal conductivity κ. The thermal conductivity has two contributions, κ = κ e + κ L , the electron thermal conductivity κ e and the lattice thermal conductivity κ L . In this chapter all these parameters will be deduced for metals and semiconductors, starting from the Boltzmann transport equation (BTE). The electrical conductivity, the Seebeck coefficient, and the electronic thermal conductivity will be obtained…