Giant thermovoltage in single InAs nanowire field-effect transistors

Abstract

Millivolt range thermovoltage is demonstrated in single InAs nanowire based field effect transistors. Thanks to a buried heating scheme, we drive both a large thermal bias ΔT > 10 K and a strong field-effect modulation of electric conductance on the nanostructures. This allows the precise mapping of the evolution of the Seebeck coefficient S as a function of the gate-controlled conductivity σ between room temperature and 100 K. Based on these experimental data a novel estimate of the electron mobility is given. This value is compared with the result of standard field-effect based mobility estimates and discussed in relation to the effect of charge traps in the devices.