Investigation of thermoelectric transport properties of <i>c</i>-axis oriented SnSb2Te4 thin-film fabricated using pulsed laser deposition technology

The van der Waals layered compound SnSb2Te4 has attracted intense attention as a promising thermoelectric material, yet its thin-film thermoelectric performance remains unexplored. In this study, we report the growth and thermoelectric properties of c-axis oriented SnSb2Te4 thin films using pulsed laser deposition technology. Systematic transport measurements revealed the strong correlation between deposition temperature, carrier concentration, and thermoelectric properties. Notably, the film deposited at 275 °C exhibited well-ordered crystalline structures with controlled orientation and superior thermoelectric performance, achieving a remarkable power factor of 8.3 µW cm−1 K−2 and a corresponding zT value of 0.18 at 575 K, demonstrating the great potential application of SnSb2Te4 thin films for micro-thermoelectric devices.