THERMOELECTRIC-POWER IN THE BALANCE EQUATION THEORY

The thermoelectric power of bulk semiconductors and quantum well structures is investigated for the first time using the balance equation transport theory extended to weakly non-uniform systems. In the linear transport limit the thermopower expressions obtained are independent of scattering and equivalent to the results derived from the Boltzmann equation with the relaxation time approximation. Effects of carrier heating (due to a current flow or due to an applied electric field in the crossed direction) are examined, showing that thermoelectric power is very sensitively dependent on the method of heating the electrons, and can change sign at low temperatures in the case of a strong electric field bias.