Effect of post-deposition thermal treatment on thermoelectric properties of pulsed-laser deposited Ca3Co4O9 thin films

Abstract Due to its high positive Seebeck coefficient (125 μV K −1 ) and low electrical resistivity (10–40 mΩ cm) Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 is a material of interest for thermoelectric power generator-based metal-oxide thin films. In the present work, we emphasize the tremendous role of ex-situ thermal treatment on the structural, electrical and low temperature thermoelectric properties of PLD grown Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 thin films. We evidence a crystallization of the Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 misfit layer between 873 K and 923 K, allowing a tailoring of the thermoelectric properties of Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 . A high maximum power factor of 2 × 10 −4  W m −1  K −2 at room temperature is attained for the most performing films.