Growth mechanism and thermoelectric properties of PbSe/EuS superlattices

PbSe/EuS superlattices with various structural parameters were prepared and examined using the electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction techniques. Measurements of the electrical conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient of the prepared samples were performed at room temperature. For some samples the temperature dependences of electrical conductivity and Hall coefficient in the range 77‐300 K were obtained. It was shown that with decreasing PbSe quantum well width d, the thermoelectric power factor increases, reaching a maximum value at d ∼ 1‐2 nm. The obtained results represent a further step towards the development of physical foundations for controlling the thermoelectric properties in multilayered semiconductor structures. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)