Thermoelectric Properties of In0.3Ga0.7N Alloys

We report on the experimental investigation of the potential of InGaN alloys as thermoelectric (TE) materials. We have grown undoped and Si-doped In0.3Ga0.7N alloys by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and measured the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity of the grown films with the aim of maximizing the power factor (P). It was found that P decreases as electron concentration (n) increases. The maximum value for P was found to be 7.3 x 10(-4) W/m K-2 at 750 K in an undoped sample with corresponding values of Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity of 280 mu V/K and 93a ( pound Omega cm)(-1), respectively. Further enhancement in P is expected by improving the InGaN material quality and conductivity control by reducing background electron concentration.