Preparation and thermoelectric properties of MoTe2 thin films by magnetron co-sputtering

MoTe2 thin films were deposited at room temperature by magnetron co-sputtering from independent Mo and Te targets. The composition, structure and thermoelectric properties were systematically investigated. The result reveals that the electrical conductivity was increased with temperature, exhibiting a semiconducting behavior and a crystalline phase of 2H-MoTe2 was precipitated. With the temperature increasing, the Seebeck coefficient value was changed from positive to negative, realizing the p-n type conversion. The maximum value of power factor for p-type and n-type MoTe2 films is 0.328 mW/mK2 at 460 K and 0.815 mW/mK2 at 670 K, respectively. These excellent properties imply that MoTe2 films will be an efficient candidate for thermoelectric applications.