Effect of the annealing treatment on structural and transport properties of thermoelectric Sm(FeNi)4Sbthin films.

The crystallographic and transport properties of thin films fabricated by pulsed laser deposition and belonging to the Sm(FeNi)Sbfilled skutterudite system were studied with the aim to unveil the effect exerted by temperature and duration of thermal treatments on structural and thermoelectric features. The importance of annealing treatments in Ar atmosphere up to 523 K was recognized, and the thermal treatment performed at 473 K for 3 h was selected as the most effective in improving the material properties. With respect to the corresponding bulk compositions, a significant enhancement in phase purity, as well as an increase in electrical conductivity and a drop in room temperature thermal conductivity, were observed in annealed films.

Synthesis and Characterization of Al- and SnO-Doped ZnO Thermoelectric Thin Films.

The effect of SnO addition (0, 1, 2, 4 wt.%) on thermoelectric properties of -axis oriented Al-doped ZnO thin films (AZO) fabricated by pulsed laser deposition on silica and AlO substrates was investigated. The best thermoelectric performance was obtained on the AZO + 2% SnO thin film grown on silica, with a power factor () of 211.

Investigation on the Power Factor of Skutterudite Sm(FeNi)Sb Thin Films: Effects of Deposition and Annealing Temperature.

Filled skutterudites are currently studied as promising thermoelectric materials due to their high power factor and low thermal conductivity. The latter property, in particular, can be enhanced by adding scattering centers, such as the ones deriving from low dimensionality and the presence of interfaces. This work reports on the synthesis and characterization of thin films belonging to the Sm(FeNi)Sb-filled skutterudite system.