Thermoelectric property characterization of low-dimensional structures

Thermoelectric property characterization of low-dimensional structures is a very challenging task. We will discuss issues encountered in the characterization of thermoelectric properties of low-dimensional structures, particularly thin film structures and their possible solutions. Emphasis is placed on measuring the thermoelectric properties in the same direction, i.e., either parallel or perpendicular to the thin-film plane. Our focus has been on Si/Ge superlattices that are grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). These samples are typically grown on graded buffers, due to the lattice constant mismatch between Si and Ge, which significantly complicate the measurements, since the properties of the buffers are also unknown