Thermoelectric behavior of a multivallied semiconductor

Following the usual procedure for including the effects of a multivallied energy band structure, the ratio (ZT) /SUB mv/ /(ZT) /SUB sv/ has been obtained as a function of reduced Fermi energy (xi), where (ZT) /SUB mv/ and (ZT) /SUB sv/ refer to the dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit of a multivallied and single vallied semiconductor respectively, both with and without intervalley scattering. The results obtained agree with those previously reported in the limit of non degeneracy but the effectiveness of a multivallied structure in improving the figure of merit is reduced with increasing xi. It is concluded that at xi /SUB opt/ it is still an advantage to use a multivallied semiconductor while the inclusion of intervalley scattering may decrease (ZT) /SUB mv/ /(ZT) /SUB sv/ by about 25-30 percent