Determination of the Peltier coefficient for gallium arsenide in a vertical Bridgman furnace

The Peltier coefficient for gallium arsenide solid in contact with its melt was experimentally determined. Selenium doped gallium arsenide samples were hermetically sealed in a fused quartz ampoule and processed in a vertical Bridgman furnace. During the translation period seven sequences of current-on and current-off periods were processed into the solidifying crystal. An axial slice was mechanochemically polished and then etched. Photomicrographs of the slice were taken with differential interference contrast microscopy and were used to measure the thickness of the current-on and current-off layers. These results were used to calculate growth rates from which the Peltier coefficient was calculated. An average value of 0.107±0.015 V was determined. The values calculated from the different sequences were in excellent agreement with each other even though the sequences had different current densities, current-on durations, and current-on to current-off ratios.

► The thermoelectric coefficients for GaAs solid/melt interface were determined.
► The Peltier coefficient for GaAs was determined to be 0.107 V±0.015 V.
► The value for the Seebeck coefficient for GaAs was calculated to be 71 μV/deg.