Seebeck Measurements on Arrays of Embedded Bi Submicron Wires

The transport properties of nanoscaled objects can be very different from those of the corresponding bulk material due to the influence of finite-size and quantum-size effects in low-dimensional structures. In 1993, Hicks and Dresselhaus published theoretical investigations on transport properties of one-dimensional conductors, predicting a significantly enhanced thermoelectric efficiency [1]. Because of large effective masses and mean free path of the conduction electrons, Bi is an ideal material for studying the transport properties of nanowires. The electrical conductivity of Bi nanowires was already intensively investigated [2]. Here, a simple method for the measurement of another thermoelectric material property, the Seebeck coefficient S, of arrays of embedded submicron wires is presented. S is defined as proportionality factor between the potential difference dU and the temperature difference dT at zero current. Hence,