Magnetron sputtering of (TiZr)NiSn thin films on different substrates for thermoelectric applications

Half-Heusler alloys are considered to be high-efficiency thermoelectric materials. Such thin film devices are expected to have a wide range of applications. In the present study, a dense 1μm thin films of (TiZr)NiSn were deposited by magnetron sputtering on different substrates including Ni-, Cu-, Ti-metals, or Si wafers. SEM-EDX observations confirmed a homogenous element distribution. X-ray diffraction measurements indicated a hexagonal P -6 2 m space group (#189). All thin films showed reasonable Seebeck coefficients with the highest values obtained for (TiZr)NiSn thin films deposited on Cu or Ti, as explained by the values of the work function. As the Seebeck coefficient is significantly different from the values measured for bulk specimens, this research opens a new dimension for the development of thermoelectric materials.