Thermodynamic Basis of Thermopower in Metals and Semiconductors

Abstract

Thermopower is a well known example of the cross effects that figure prominently in nonequilibrium thermodynamics. Existing analyses require that a cross coefficient be determined empirically. The present treatment demonstrates, however, that thermopower is determined by the enthalpy of the conduction electrons. It follows that other cross coefficients can be calculated similarly from suitable thermodynamic quantities plus in general, the empirically determined direct coefficients. A crucial change from existing analyses is the use of a constant-temperature chemical driving force. This change results in the introduction of the enthalpy term into the equations in question. Since measurements of thermopower can yield a basic thermodynamic property of the conduction electrons, the way is now open for thermodynamic calculations of important properties of electronic devices.

Comportement en fluage à haute température de la phase γ du Cu–16,6% at Sn γ Tentative de corrélation avec la diffusion en volume

“…La thermodynamique des processus irreversibles appliquke aux solutions solides binaires concentrees permet d'ecrire les diffbrents coefficients de diffusion possibles. Leur calcul a Bt6 dejh partiellement effectue par Brebec et Poirier [4], Guy et Oikawa [18] et par Lexcellent et al [19]. Simplement, nous allons donner les hypotheses physiques en diffusion qui permettent de les obtenir.…”

Transversal Effect in a Metal-to-Metal Interface

“…When a doped and a pure conductor are in contact through a lateral wall, the difference in the ``electronic pressuresº must produce a (transient) transversal current, which gives rise to the restoring electric field. In a more precise language, the ``electronic pressureº difference corresponds to the gradient of the chemi-cal potential m appearing in the generalized Ohm law [1,2],…”