The study of Mg_2Sn Thin Film Material for Heat Energy Conversion Applications in Room Temperature Range

A study of Mg_2Sn thin film material expected a high Thermo-Electrical (TE) characteristics in Room Temperature (RT) range is presented. The single phase (cubic crystal) Mg_2Sn thin film is successfully formed on a glass substrate at 550 degree C with the conventional magnetron sputtering process when a metal layer of silver (Ag) or indium (In) of less than a hundred nanometer thickness is pre-coated before the deposition of Mg_2Sn. The pre-coated material of Ag or In is diffused into the Mg_2Sn film. P-type doping for the Mg_2Sn by Ag is successful in this process, but n-type doping for the Mg_2Sn film by In is not. In addition, it is found on Ag doping films that the Seebeck coefficient doesn’t decrease with the increase of the conductivity due to Ag doping which is different from the dependency of Ag doping in the bulk of Mg_2Sn.