Phase and Composition Tunable Out-of-Plane Seebeck Coefficients for MoS₂-Based Films

Two-dimensional layered transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are promising materials for thermoelectric applications due to their superior electronic and phonon transport properties due to a favorable large energy bandgap with an atomically thin layer, which also provides unique density of states for confined electrons and holes. Seebeck coefficient controllability in TMDC materials is essential. This paper demonstrates controllable out-of-plane Seebeck coefficients for large-area MoS2 thin films by changing their phase and composition. We address large Seebeck coefficient differences at room temperature using large-area single- and mixed-phase MoS2 thin films by adjusting the reaction temperature during sampling and also discuss interface thermal resistance in sandwiched Cu/MoS2/Cu structures. Our findings confirm an ideal platform to control thermoelectric properties for low-dimensional materials for small-scale energy harvesting and microcooling technologies.