Thermoelectric Properties of Cobalt Antimony Thin Films Deposited on Flexible Substrates by Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering

Abstract

Cobalt antimony thin films were deposited on flexible substrates at room temperature by radio frequency magnetron sputtering with different sputtering power. The atomic ratio of Co to Sb in the cobalt antimony thin film was closest to 1:3 when the sputtering power was 55 W. The thermoelectric properties of the thin films deposited at room temperature were inconspicuous due to their amorphous microstructure which was characterized by x-ray diffraction. To enhance the thermoelectric properties of the thin films, cobalt antimony thin film deposited by sputtering power of 55 W was annealed at various temperatures ranging from 443 K to 593 K. It was found that all the thin films had n-type conductivity and the CoSb3 thin films annealed at 493–593 K were polycrystalline with (310) preferential orientation. The Seebeck coefficient of CoSb3 thin films annealed at 543 K increased with the raising of the measuring temperature (323–473 K), and the maximum Seebeck coefficient was −88 μV/K, which is the highest value for CoSb3 thin films deposited on flexible substrate.