Study on Thickness and Temperature Dependence of Thermoelectric Properties in SnS Nanofilms
Abstract
SnS as an environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and earth-abundant narrow-bandgap semiconductor material, has demonstrated significant application potential in the field of medium-temperature thermoelectric conversion. However, the thermoelectric performance of its bulk counterpart is inherently constrained by intrinsic point defects (e.g., vacancies) and the material's specific band structure. Low-dimensional engineering has emerged as a pivotal strategy for overcoming these limitations and enhancing thermoelectric performance. In this work, we systematically investigate the thermoelectric properties of SnS nanofilms with distinct thicknesses (82 nm, 199 nm, 616 nm, and 813 nm) across a temperature range of 300-600 K. Measurements were conducted using time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR) and a dedicated thin-film thermoelectric parameter test system (ZEM-3). Our results confirm that low-dimensionalization effectively boosts the thermoelectric performance of SnS, with the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) displaying a pronounced dependence on both film thickness and temperature. All four SnS thin films exhibit thermoelectric performance that is markedly superior to that of bulk SnS. This enhancement is primarily attributed to the quantum confinement effect, energy filtering effect, and intensified phonon scattering, all of which are induced by the low-dimensional structural characteristics. This work provides not only experimental evidence and theoretical insights for the performance optimization of SnS nanofilms but also establishes a foundational framework for the development of high-efficiency, eco-friendly medium-temperature thermoelectric materials, thereby holding significant scientific value and practical implications.
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BibTeX
@misc{chen2026study,
title = {{Study on Thickness and Temperature Dependence of Thermoelectric Properties in SnS Nanofilms}},
author = {Liqi Chen and Ziyang Wang and Donghao Li and Jingye Wang and Ning Zhao and Jun Zhou and Jie Zhu and Dawei Tang},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.08734},
eprint = {2609.08734},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.08734},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Study on Thickness and Temperature Dependence of Thermoelectric Properties in SnS Nanofilms
AU - Liqi Chen
AU - Ziyang Wang
AU - Donghao Li
AU - Jingye Wang
AU - Ning Zhao
AU - Jun Zhou
AU - Jie Zhu
AU - Dawei Tang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/08
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.08734
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.08734
AB - SnS as an environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and earth-abundant narrow-bandgap semiconductor material, has demonstrated significant application potential in the field of medium-temperature thermoelectric conversion. However, the thermoelectric performance of its bulk counterpart is inherently constrained by intrinsic point defects (e.g., vacancies) and the material's specific band structure. Low-dimensional engineering has emerged as a pivotal strategy for overcoming these limitations and enhancing thermoelectric performance. In this work, we systematically investigate the thermoelectric properties of SnS nanofilms with distinct thicknesses (82 nm, 199 nm, 616 nm, and 813 nm) across a temperature range of 300-600 K. Measurements were conducted using time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR) and a dedicated thin-film thermoelectric parameter test system (ZEM-3). Our results confirm that low-dimensionalization effectively boosts the thermoelectric performance of SnS, with the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) displaying a pronounced dependence on both film thickness and temperature. All four SnS thin films exhibit thermoelectric performance that is markedly superior to that of bulk SnS. This enhancement is primarily attributed to the quantum confinement effect, energy filtering effect, and intensified phonon scattering, all of which are induced by the low-dimensional structural characteristics. This work provides not only experimental evidence and theoretical insights for the performance optimization of SnS nanofilms but also establishes a foundational framework for the development of high-efficiency, eco-friendly medium-temperature thermoelectric materials, thereby holding significant scientific value and practical implications.
ER -