Control of giant thermoelectric properties based on group-IV band engineering and its device applications

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21H01366
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 21050:Electric and electronic materials-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Kurosawa Masashi 名古屋大学, 工学研究科, 准教授 (40715439)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 片瀬 貴義 東京工業大学, 科学技術創成研究院, 准教授 (90648388)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: IV族混晶 / 半導体 / ゲルマニウムスズ / シリコンスズ / 薄膜 / 結晶成長 / フォノンドラッグ / 熱電変換

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project aimed to establish a guideline that shifts the temperatures of the giant phonon-drag effect, which appeared at low temperatures around 20 K, to higher temperatures based on the band engineering technology in group-IV alloys (germanium tin). Previous studies have grown the alloy films on conductive substrates; hence, their electronic and thermoelectric properties have not been fully understood. Therefore, this study used high-resistivity wafers as the crystal growth substrates. As a result, the high-quality formation of various group-IV alloys (germanium tin, silicon tin, and germanium silicon tin) thin films and clarification of their low-temperature thermoelectric properties were achieved.

Free Research Field

半導体工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の推進により、IV族混晶半導体薄膜の基礎的な低温熱電物性や電子物性の計測に成功し、半導体/異種材料ヘテロ構造の高品位形成に関する知見も蓄積できた。これらは様々な半導体デバイスへの応用が可能であり、IV族混晶材料の新しい展開を拓く基礎となりうる。加えて、当該材料はシリコン集積回路プロセスとの親和性に優れるIV族元素から構成されており、半導体産業応用の観点からも先進的な研究領域になると期待できる。