In this study, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)/indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films (MoS2/ITO) were successfully fabricated via physical vapor deposition (PVD) under controlled conditions, followed by annealing at 600°C on both glass and silicon dioxide (SiO2) substrates. Structural and morphological characterizations using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that annealing enhanced the crystallinity and improved surface homogeneity, with prominent diffraction planes corresponding to the 3R MoS2 phase and the cubic structure of ITO. Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) confirmed the presence of the constituent elements, while thermoelectric property measurements using a ZEM-3 system demonstrated superior performance on silicon substrates compared to glass. The resistivity decreased significantly after incorporating ITO into the MoS2 thin films. The MoS2/ITO thin film deposited on both glass and SiO2 substrates demonstrated promising thermoelectric properties, with optimal values obtained for resistivity of 18.5 μΩ m, Seebeck coefficient of −320 μV K−1, and power factor of 14.06 mW m−1 K−2 at 619 K. The MoS2/ITO thin films exhibited negative Seebeck coefficients (n-type), with electrons as the dominant charge carriers.

The thermoelectric figure of merit of the distorted Heusler alloy TiFe _1.5 Sb was investigated by first-principles calculations of lattice thermal conductivity. The electronic thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient are calculated by semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory. TiFe _1.5 Sb was found to be thermally and dynamically stable, as confirmed by its phonon dispersion. Additionally, the absence of the gap between acoustic and optical modes enhances phonon scattering, leading to a low lattice thermal conductivity of 0.703 W/mK at 300 K. Our study also reveals that TiFe _1.5 Sb is a non-magnetic semiconductor. Notably, it demonstrates a significant longitudinal thermoelectric effect, with a Seebeck coefficient of 359.4 μ V/K at 300 K. The combination of low lattice thermal conductivity and a high Seebeck coefficient results in a high thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of 0.88 and 0.91 at 300 K and 500 K, respectively. These findings highlight the considerable potential of TiFe _1.5 Sb as a promising material for thermoelectric device applications.

This study systematically investigates the structural, chemical, electrical, and thermoelectric properties of nanostructured high-entropy nitride (CrAlNbSiV)N thin films synthesized via DC reactive magnetron sputtering with oblique angle deposition (OAD) at 0°- 85°. Thermodynamic calculations confirm an entropy-stabilized solid-solution phase with a metallic sublattice configurational entropy of . FE-SEM demonstrates a morphological transition from a dense vertical columnar matrix (3.22 m of thickness at 0°) to inclined, porous nanocolumns with reduced thickness (1.81 to 1.48 μm at 75°–85°) driven by ballistic shadowing. GIXRD, HRTEM, and SAED reveal that higher deposition angles shift the crystal orientation from a strong (220) texture at 0° to a mixed (111)/(200) matrix, accompanied by grain refinement (crystallite size decreasing from 24.6 to 6.5 nm) and increased microstrain. EPMA-WDS mapping confirms uniform elemental co-distribution without phase segregation. Surface-sensitive XPS and NEXAFS spectroscopy reveal an ultrathin native oxynitride passivation layer at the surface, overlying a pristine metal-nitride core. Electrical transport measurements show low Hall mobility () across all films, indicating localized hopping conduction. Crucially, the film deposited at 75° optimizes columnar connectivity and porosity, achieving a peak carrier concentration (), high effective mass (), a Seebeck coefficient of -92 μV·K-1, and a maximum room-temperature power factor of ∼0.39 mW·m-1·K-2. These findings establish OAD nanostructural engineering as a viable route to tailor electronic transport in high-entropy ceramic coatings for energy harvesting.

In this work, we investigated the effect of Fe doping on the structural, thermoelectric, and magnetic properties of Bi2Te3 thin films. By varying the pulsed-DC power (0 W-12 W) for the Fe target while keeping it fixed at 50 W for the Bi:Te target, different doping concentrations were achieved, a balance of oxidation states and magnetism, such as the Bi3+ substitution by Fe2+, which produces holes and decreases the electron concentration. The resulting films exhibited a crystalline structure with a mixed phase of FeTe, resulting from the Fe dopant. Notably, doping with Fe up to 8 W significantly increased the power factor by approximately an order of magnitude compared to undoped samples (similar to 0.22 Wm(-1)K(-2) for Fe-doped and 0.025 W m(-1) K-2 for undoped films). The mechanism behind this is attributed to the balance between the Fe2+ and Fe3+ oxidation states, which optimizes carrier mobility for the highest sigma while simultaneously lowering carrier concentration for the largest S in the FeBi2Te3-8 W thin film. Finally, Fe incorporated into the Bi2Te3 structure was employed in non-collinear density functional theory (DFT) calculations using the OpenMX ab initio package.

This study examines the development of Pd-added Sb2Te3 thin films synthesized by co-magnetron sputtering. Using precise shutter-timing deposition techniques, varying amounts of Pd were introduced to enhance thermoelectric properties. Structural analysis revealed that Pd incorporation primarily leads to the formation of a PdTe2 secondary phase within the Sb2Te3 matrix, along with improved film compactness and enhanced grain connectivity. These modifications result in increased electrical conductivity and an optimized Seebeck coefficient, including a transition from n-type to p-type conduction. The thermoelectric power factor increased significantly, reaching a maximum value of 8.1 mu W cm(-1) K-2 at 323.15 K (50 degrees C), particularly for films with optimal Pd concentration. The improved thermoelectric performance is mainly attributed to increased carrier concentration and enhanced charge transport pathways resulting from microstructural evolution, while DFT calculations indicate that local Pd incorporation may further affect the electronic structure by increasing the density of states near the Fermi level. The results underscore the dual role of Pd addition in tuning the electronic band structure and microstructural properties of Sb2Te3, providing insights into phase and defect engineering for thermoelectric applications in the low- to medium-temperature range. The co-magnetron sputtering method also provides a well-controlled approach for tailoring material composition and properties.

The thermoelectric properties of undoped ZnO (ZnO), Mg-doped ZnO (MZO), Al-doped ZnO (AZO), and Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) films were addressed in terms of the electronegativity difference (Delta chi). A smaller Delta chi not only increases bond covalency and larger orbital overlap but also reduces intrinsic defects, leading to higher electrical conduction and larger carrier mobility observed in AZO and GZO films. In contrast, the MZO films with the largest Delta chi, which enhance intrinsic defects (oxygen vacancies, etc.) or potential barriers at grain boundaries, reduce bond covalency, or increase bond ionicity, result in the lowest electrical conductivity and carrier mobility. The power factor PF values are 93, 27, 49, and 148 mu W m-1 K-2 for the ZnO, MZO, AZO, and GZO films, respectively. Films having atoms with smaller Delta chi values achieve the larger PF value. As a result, replacing Zn sites with dopants of larger electronegativity or small electronegativity difference is an indicator for enhancing the thermoelectric properties of ZnO materials.

In this work, we investigated the thermoelectric properties of MoS2 thin films deposited on SiO2/Si wafer substrates as prepared by the radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique. A fixed sputtering power of 200 W was maintained for 30 min to facilitate thin film deposition. After thin film deposition, as-deposited thin films were annealed by the vacuum annealing method at 550, 650, and 700 degrees C. The crystal structure, morphology, film thickness, and atomic composition of the MoS2 thin film were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) techniques, respectively. The elemental states of thin films were determined through radiative X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The thermoelectric properties (electrical resistivity; rho and Seebeck coefficient; S) were measured by the ZEM-3 method to calculate the power factor (PF) value. The results showed that the as-deposited thin films had improved the crystallography of MoS2 from an amorphous to a crystalline phase after annealing. At a temperature of 523 K, the maximum power factor is 4.74 mW m-1 K-2 (rho = 3.06 x 10-4 Omega m and S =-1.21 mV K-1) for annealing a thin film sample at 550 degrees C.

Antimony telluride (Sb2Te3) thin films were deposited on 1-μm SiO2 / Si-wafer substrates to a thickness of approximately 250 nm by using pulse-dc magnetron sputtering method, and their thermoelectric (TE) properties were evaluated. This study examined the impact of post-annealing at 250°C under vacuum, argon (Ar), and nitrogen (N2) atmospheres on the thermoelectric (TE) properties. The surface morphology, crystalline structure, and atomic composition were analyzed for both as-deposited and post-annealed thin films using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GI-XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. The results revealed that post-annealing significantly influenced the thin film structure, enhancing the Sb2Te3 crystal orientations, particularly the (015) and (101̅0) peaks. Additionally, Hall effect measurement performed after post-annealing confirmed the electrical properties of all samples, providing further understanding of their electrical properties. For the thermoelectric (TE) properties, low temperature Seebeck coefficient analysis confirmed the p-type character of Sb2Te3. The argon post-annealed sample exhibited the highest Seebeck coeefficient of 1.0 x 10-4 V/K, corresponding to a maximum power factor (PF) of 4.40 x 10-4 W/m K-2. The results clearly show that post-annealing temperature directly affected both the electrical and thermoelectric characteristics.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) is a transition metal dichalcogedides (TMDs) material. MoS 2 has potential for technological applications such as supercapacitors, photovoltaics, thermoelectrics, or other application devices. MoS 2 in nanoscale has high mechanical strength, direct band gap, and high charge carrier mobility. MoS 2 material is a good candidate as a thermoelectric device material. MoS 2 thin films were deposited using the Radio Frequency (RF) Sputtering method and then heated to form MoS 2 layers ready for testing. The substrates are placed in the sample holder, then the sputtering chamber is set to the condition that the base pressure is below 1.9 x 10 −4 Pa and the working pressure at 1.2 Pa. MoS 2 thin film deposition was carried out at room temperature and an Argon (Ar) gas flow of 38 standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm). Deposition of MoS2 thin film using the RF Sputtering method with a deposition time of around 30 minutes and a fixed power of 200 Watts. After deposition of the MoS 2 thin film, thermal annealing treatment was carried out using MILA-5000 (Mini Lamp Annealer) for 40 minutes. Significant results were observed after the MoS 2 thin films underwent rapid annealing processes, where the film thickness was measured at 177.4 nm, with identified trace elements of Mo, Si, and O. The MoS 2 thin film samples were thermally annealed at temperatures of 600°C. The suitability of the material for thermoelectric applications is determined by its resistivity (ρ) and Seebeck coefficient (S) values. The MoS 2 layer has a resistivity of 2.62 × 10 −6 Ω·m and a Seebeck coefficient of -2.88 × 10 −4 V/K at a temperature of 59.18°C. The resistivity and Seebeck coefficient decrease with increasing temperature. the maximum power factor of 7.93 × 10 −1 W/mK 2 (ρ = 0.21x10 −6 Ohm m dan S = -4.07 x10 −4 V/K) at 344.23 °C.

This study investigates the synthesis of Bi4O4SeCl2 through a cost-effective ball-milling-assisted solid-state reaction method. The as-grown samples predominantly consisted of the Bi12O15Cl6 phase, with minor contributions from BiOCl and Bi4O4SeCl2. A systematic post-ball-milling process was applied to enhance the formation of the Bi4O4SeCl2 phase. Prolonged milling time led to the progressive dominance of the Bi4O4SeCl2 phase, resulting in significant improvements in electrical conductivity and reductions in thermal conductivity. After 30 min of milling, the carrier concentration increased notably from −2.23 × 1016 cm−3 (as-grown) to −1.01 × 1018 cm−3, while electrical conductivity rose from 0.14 S/cm (as-grown) to 2.26 S/cm. Simultaneously, thermal conductivity decreased from 0.65 W m−1 K−1 (as-grown) to 0.35 W m−1 K−1. These findings demonstrate that post-ball-milling is a scalable and economical method for synthesizing Bi4O4SeCl2 with low thermal conductivity, highlighting its potential as a promising material for thermal barrier coatings and thermoelectric applications.

The Pd-doped Bi2Te3 thin film flexible modules were fabricated using a co-magnetron sputtering system on polyimide flexible substrates. Through the optimization of Pd-doped Bi2Te3 thin films, we employed a co-magnetron sputtering technique with varying DC sputtering powers on the Pd target (0, 4, 8, and 12W). In contrast, the pulsed-DC power source for the Bi2Te3 target was fixed at 30 W. It was found that increasing the Pd content reduced the electrical resistivity. In contrast, a low concentration of Pd increased the negative Seebeck coefficient. At room temperature, the maximum power factor of 1.34 × 10⁻4 W m⁻1 K⁻2 (ρ = 48.5 μΩ·m, S = –80 μV K⁻1) was observed for the Pd-doped Bi2Te3 thin film (Pd_4W) sample. The practical application of the Pd-doped Bi2Te3 thin film (Pd_4W) was demonstrated in a thermoelectric module comprising five couples of Pd-doped Sb2Te3 (p-type) and Pd-doped Bi2Te3 (n-type) thin films, achieving an output power of 24 nW at ΔT = 65 K.

This study focuses on the fabrication of Tin Selenide (SnSe) thin films using the RF sputtering method and characterizes their thermoelectric properties to explore their potential for efficient thermoelectric generators. The findings aim to contribute to the advancement of sustainable thermoelectric technologies. The highest power factor (PF) for temperate measurement was achieved at 0.24 mW m −1 K −2 , where electrical resistivity ( ρ ) was 0.53 m Ω m and Seebeck coefficient ( S ) was 360 μV K −1 for the sample annealed at 400°C.

We present the thermoelectric characteristics of bulk samples of the n-type Bi2Se3 and p-type Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 that were produced by the vacuum melt technique and then vacuum hot-pressed at 723 and 523 K, respectively. The samples were investigated for their crystalline structure, lattice parameter, bulk density, relative density, and thermoelectric properties by XRD, density kit, ZEM-3, and LFA, respectively. In the same temperature range of 325 to 525 K, the thermoelectric characteristics of bulk n-type Bi2Se3 and p-type Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 were higher than the literature data. The Bi2Se3 and Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 bulk samples have maximum zT is 0.84 and 0.88 at 329 K, respectively, and are considered high-performance materials for use in thermoelectric devices.

Innovation in renewable energy, such as thermoelectric technology, addresses the growing energy demand without harming the environment. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ), a transition metal dichalcogenide, shows great potential for applications in thermoelectric devices. This study focuses on the fabrication of MoS 2 thin films by employing the RF magnetron sputtering method, a widely used technique for producing uniform and high-quality thin films. To further enhance the material properties, a post-deposition heat treatment was performed in a quartz tube furnace at 600 °C for 1 minute. This annealing process is expected to improve the crystallinity and phase stability of the thin films, which in turn can optimize their structural, electronic, and thermoelectric characteristics. The thermoelectric properties of the MoS 2 thin films, namely electrical resistivity and the Seebeck coefficient (S), were evaluated. The lowest resistivity of 1.82 × 10 −3 Ω·m was recorded at 50 °C following annealing at 600 °C, with a general decrease in resistivity observed as the measurement temperature increased, as determined by the ZEM-3 system. The Seebeck coefficient exhibited negative values, confirming electrons as the dominant charge carriers in the films, with a maximum value of –3.54 × 10 −4 V/K at 50 °C. From these results, the power factor at 50 °C was calculated to be 1.29 × 10 −4 W/m·K 2 .

In this work, the thermoelectric (TE) modules of p-Sb2Te3 and n-Bi2Te3 were fabricated by using the Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) process. Based on TE properties measurement, the zT value was calculated to be achieved of 0.89 for Sb2Te3 and 0.70 for Bi2Te3 at 523 K. A thermoelectric generator (TEG) module comprising eight p-n couples was fabricated and tested, achieving a maximum electrical power output of approximately 0.37 W at the temperature difference of 473 K.

Low-cost thermoelectric (TE) ink-painting technology for power generation devices represents a promising avenue for energy harvesting and sustainable technology applications. This study explores a novel approach using TE devices for waste heat recovery, focusing on painting TE ink for low-cost power generation devices. We utilized p-type Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 (p-BST) and n-type Bi2Se3 (n-BS) ink to fabricate films on glass substrates. The film thickness was controlled at 100 µm and was annealed for 30 min in air at 300–400°C. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), ZEM-3, and laser flash analysis (LFA) techniques were used to determine the chemical content, morphology, crystal structure, and TE properties of both materials. The low-cost TE ink-painting module with five pairs of p- and n-type layers in parallel could generate power within an output power range of 2.59 W at a temperature differential of 50°C.

The study on Pd-added Bi2Te3 thin films involved the preparation of these films using the co-magnetron sputtering technique. The process included fixing the Bi:Te (2:3) target at 30 W of pulsed dc-power while varying the Pd target on the sputtering power in a range of 0-12 W. All deposited film thicknesses were maintained at 500 nm. The investigation of the thermoelectric power factor (PF) of thin films with varying Pd-adding contents revealed interesting results. The Pd contents were increased by increasing the sputtering power on the Pd target. The PdTe2 phase was initiated, starting at 4 W of Pd sputtering power, resulting in a heterogeneous alloy of Bi2Te3 and PdTe2 phase. The increase in the Pd content led to a reduction in the electrical resistivity. At the same time, an appropriate Pd-adding concentration could cause the rise of the Seebeck coefficient and power factor. The maximum power factor of 3.06 mW m- 1 K- 2 (rho = 14.63 mu Omega m, S = -212 mu V K- 1) at room temperature was achieved on a Pd-added Bi2Te3 thin film (Pd-4W). This finding underscores the potential of Pd's most appropriate adding content into Bi2Te3 thin films for thermoelectric energy harvesting applications.