Seebeck Coefficient and Power Factor of Single-Crystalline Boron Nanobelts

We report the thermoelectric properties of single-crystalline boron nanobelts with alpha-tetragonal boron crystal. After the fabrication of a microheater and microelectrodes, the thermoelectric voltage was successfully measured by an AC measurement method (the 2 omega technique). The boron nanobelts were found to possess the highest power factor among all of the boron crystals and amorphous solids. They are expected to be candidate thermoelectric materials for use at high temperatures. The Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity strongly depend on the distribution of localized states in the band gap. (C) 2011 The Japan Society of Applied Physics