Contents

• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Fundamentals of Thermoelectric Devices
  • 2.1 Thermoelectric Phenomena
    • 2.1.1 Seebeck Effect
    • 2.1.2 Peltier Effect
    • 2.1.3 Thomson Effect
    • 2.1.4 Thermodynamic Relations
  • 2.2 Applications of Thermoelectric Devices
  • 2.3 Future Applications
  
  
• 3. Electrical Transport
  • 3.1 A Hierarchy of Simulation Strategies
  • 3.2 The Basic Equations
    • 3.2.1 Poisson's Equation
    • 3.2.2 Boltzmann's Equation
  • 3.3 Band Structure Model
  • 3.4 The Distribution Function
  • 3.5 Macroscopic Transport Models
    • 3.5.1 Microscopic and Macroscopic Quantities
    • 3.5.2 Method of Moments
    • 3.5.3 A Hierarchy of Transport Models
    • 3.5.4 Relaxation Time Approximation
    • 3.5.5 Stratton's Approach
    • 3.5.6 Bløtekjær's Approach
    • 3.5.7 Non-Diagonal Relaxation Time Ansatz
    • 3.5.8 Summary of Equations
    • 3.5.9 Onsager Relations
    • 3.5.10 Electrothermal Transport Model
    • 3.5.11 Phenomenological Approach
    • 3.5.12 Seebeck Coefficient
  
  
• 4. Materials for Thermoelectric Devices
  • 4.1 Characterization of Materials
  • 4.2 Optimization of Device Performance
  • 4.3 Silicon-Germanium
  • 4.4 Lead Telluride and its Alloys
  • 4.5 Bismuth Telluride and its Alloys
  
  
• 5. Physical Modeling of PbTe and PbSnTe
  • 5.1 Lattice Properties
    • 5.1.1 Lattice Constant, Thermal Expansion, and Mass Density
    • 5.1.2 Dielectric Constant
    • 5.1.3 Elastic Moduli and Sound Velocities
  • 5.2 Thermal Properties
    • 5.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity
    • 5.2.2 Thermal Conductivity
    • 5.2.3 Thermoelectric Powers
  • 5.3 Band Structure
    • 5.3.1 Band Gap
    • 5.3.2 Effective Masses, Density of States, Intrinsic Carrier Density
  • 5.4 Carrier Mobility
  • 5.5 Generation and Recombination
    • 5.5.1 Direct Recombination
    • 5.5.2 Shockley-Read-Hall Recombination
    • 5.5.3 Auger Recombination
  
  
• 6. Case Studies
  • 6.1 Ideal Classical Thermoelectric Generators
  • 6.2 Non-Ideal Devices and Thermal Environment
  • 6.3 Reduced Thermal Conductivity by Alloys
  • 6.4 Stacked Lead Telluride Thermoelectric Devices
  • 6.5 Pn-Junctions as Thermoelectric Devices
    • 6.5.1 Temperature Control by Graded Material Alloys
    • 6.5.2 Generation Enhancement by Additional Traps
    • 6.5.3 Optimization of Device Characteristics
  
  
• 7. Summary and Conclusions
• A. Poisson Brackets Formulation
• B. Useful Identities
• Bibliography
• Own Publications

M. Wagner: Simulation of Thermoelectric Devices