A short account of thermoelectric film characterization techniques

Abstract

Thermoelectric films and periodic structures have particularly intriguing electrical and thermal transport features due to their low dimensionality. As a result, they have piqued the attention of researchers from across the spectrum of disciplines. Their applications span from cooling fast CPUs to providing energy for wearable devices. The progress in the techniques for synthesizing TE materials and fabricating thin films has facilitated the emergence of a flourishing research domain in the field of electrical and thermal transport at the nanoscale. Further, a significant proportion of contemporary electronic, opto-electronic, and solar energy components are composed of materials featuring numerous interfaces and nanoscale contacts. Consequently, it is imperative to explore the thermal energy transfer and charge carrier transport across the films with thickness dimensions in the nanometer range. The development of cutting-edge approaches for grasping complicated processes at the nanoscale is critical. This review provides a concise overview of the prevalent methodologies developed over the last two decades and employed for the characterization of the Seebeck coefficient and electrical and thermal conductivity of thermoelectric films.