Ballistic Thermoelectricity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37256/aecm.4220233336Keywords:
phenomenology of kinetic phenomena, Curie’s theorem, diffuse effects, potential barriers, ballistic transfer, Prigogine’s local entropy production, DIRECT energy conversion efficiencyAbstract
The analysis of Local thermo-EMF in p-n junctions made it possible to reveal the phenomenological features of ballistic thermoelectricity. By the Curie Symmetry Principle, in polar structures of p-n junctions, the thickness of which is of the order of the electron mean free path, the contribution of ballistic effects to the formation of the total EMF is decisive. This ballistic contribution to thermo-EMF provides both high output voltages and high efficiency of DIRECT energy conversion.