Dispersion and damping characteristics of Rayleigh-type waves in KG nonlocal fractional piezo-thermo-electric semiconductor medium

Purpose This study aims to investigate Rayleigh-type surface wave propagation in a piezo-thermo-electric semiconductor medium. Klein–Gordon-type nonlocal effects and a higher-order fractional three-phase-lag heat-conduction model are incorporated. The analysis examines how nonlocal elasticity, piezoelectric semiconducting behavior and advanced heat-conduction influence wave dispersion and attenuation. Design/methodology/approach Analytical solutions are obtained using the wave-mode method. The Durand–Kerner algorithm is applied to solve the characteristic equation and identify physically admissible surface wave modes. The analysis is performed for a half-space under isothermal and electrically insulated boundary conditions. Fractional derivatives and multiple phase lags are included to account for advanced thermal transport effects. Findings Numerical results show the variation in dispersion relations, phase velocity and attenuation with changes in spatial and temporal nonlocal parameters as well as phase lags. Surface particle trajectories are also evaluated. Sensitivity analysis highlights the distinct influence of higher-order thermal lags and nonlocal effects on wave propagation and energy dissipation. Research limitations/implications This investigation addresses a key gap in the literature by simultaneously incorporating Klein–Gordon nonlocality, fractional effects, thermo-electro-mechanical coupling and three-phase lag behavior in semiconductor media. The study also presents several limiting and special cases. These results provide a basis for future work on coupled wave phenomena in advanced functional materials with microstructural effects. Practical implications The outcomes support the development of smart surface devices, acoustic sensors and energy harvesting systems. The findings are relevant to applications in microelectronics, optoelectronics and seismic engineering. Originality/value This paper develops a framework for Rayleigh wave analysis in piezo-semiconductor media with Klein–Gordon-type nonlocal elasticity and a higher-order fractional three-phase-lag thermal model.