Electron scattering in InAsxSb1−x alloys

Abstract

Room-temperature measurements of the thermoelectric power α and Hall coefficient R have been made as a function of the magnetic field B on polycrystalline n-type samples of InAsxSb1−x, alloys of carrier concentration ~1017/cm3. Hence saturation values α∞ and R∞ and zero-field values α∞ and R∞ have been determined. Using these values of α∞ and α∞ and assuming a Kane model for the conduction band, values have been determined for the Fermi energy EF and the scattering parameter s over the whole alloy range. In all cases, the value of s is close to 0.5, indicating that the dominant scattering mechanism in the alloys is piezoelectric scattering. From the EF and R∞ data, values of the bottom of the band effective mass have been calculated and these are compared with similar values obtained from Faraday rotation results.