Effect of Annealing Techniques on the Thermoelectric Properties of Molybdenum Disulfide Thin Films Prepared by RF Sputtering

Innovation in renewable energy, such as thermoelectric technology, addresses the growing energy demand without harming the environment. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂), a transition metal dichalcogenide, shows great potential for applications in thermoelectric devices. This study focuses on the fabrication of MoS₂ thin films by employing the RF magnetron sputtering method, a widely used technique for producing uniform and high-quality thin films. To further enhance the material properties, a post-deposition heat treatment was performed in a quartz tube furnace at 600 °C for 1 minute. This annealing process is expected to improve the crystallinity and phase stability of the thin films, which in turn can optimize their structural, electronic, and thermoelectric characteristics. The thermoelectric properties of the MoS₂ thin films, namely electrical resistivity and the Seebeck coefficient (S), were evaluated. The lowest resistivity of 1.82 × 10^-3 ω·m was recorded at 50 °C following annealing at 600 °C, with a general decrease in resistivity observed as the measurement temperature increased, as determined by the ZEM-3 system. The Seebeck coefficient exhibited negative values, confirming electrons as the dominant charge carriers in the films, with a maximum value of -3.54 × 10^-4 V/K at 50 °C. From these results, the power factor at 50 °C was calculated to be 1.29