Numerical Analysis of Thermoelectric Properties on Bi₈₈Sb₁₂

Abstract

The large maxima of thermopower as functions of the temperature observed for Bismuth Antimony alloy is studied theoretically based on the Boltzmann transport theory of single carrier. The Fermi statistics is fully taken into account, with the chemical potential being calculated self-consistently at each temperature from experimental Hall coefficients. It stays constant at lower temperatures, but starts to rise at T=70 K, where the maximum of the thermopower is observed. The temperature dependence of the calculated thermopower agrees well with the measurements. The occurrence of the maxima is thus shown to be associated with the extrinsic-to-intrinsic transition, thus providing theoretical confirmation to the known empirical rule.