Thermoelectric Properties of (100) Oriented Silicon and Nickel Silicide Nanocomposite Films Grown on Si on Insulator and Si on Quartz Glass Substrates

Abstract

We have grown (100) oriented composite films of Si and Ni silicide nanocrystals (Ni–Si NC film) on substrates of Si on insulator (SOI) and Si on quartz glass (SOQ). Owing to improvement of carrier transport properties and reduction of the thermal conductivity in the oriented films, they have higher dimensionless figures of merit, ZT of 0.22–0.42 for p-type Ni–Si NC film and 0.08–0.13 for n-type Ni–Si NC film—than that of bulk Si (ZT < 0.01) at 30℃. The ZT values of p-type and n-type Ni–Si NC films were increased to 0.65 and 0.40 at 500℃, respectively.