Thermoelectric Power оf Thin Bismuth Films оn Mica

The paper presents the results of measuring the thermopower and resistivity of bismuth films in the thickness range from 1 μm to 10 nm, obtained by thermal evaporation in vacuum. The study is carried out in the temperature range 77–300 K by a method excluding the introduction of additional deformation into the film-substrate system by elements of the measuring cell. Plates of single-crystal mica (muscovite) are used as substrates. A significant dependence of the thermopower and thermoelectric power on the film thickness is found. The results are interpreted within the framework of classical and quantum-size effects of the restriction of the thickness and size of crystallites.