Theoretical investigations of thermoelectric effects in advanced low dimensional materials

Abstract

For the continued realization of scaling down in minimum feature size according to Moore?s law, nanostructure devices have attracted growing attentions due to higher capability and integration. At the nanoscale, quantum confinement effects can be observed, and the conventional theory is no longer valid for the energy carriers, therefore, the theoretical assessment of the carrier transport properties is essential for nanostructured devices. Moreover, sustainable energy source is becoming a major issue to the society. To meet this crucial challenge, great attention has been focused on thermoelectric effect, which can convert heat directly into electricity providing cost-effective green energy solution. This thesis theoretically studies the intrinsic ballistic electron and phonon transport properties, especially with a focus on the thermoelectric performance for novel nanostructured materials: one-dimensional Ge nanowires and various graphene nanoribbon structures, and two-dimensional semiconducting monolayer and multilayer transition-metal dichalcogenides.