The transverse thermoelectric effect in a-axis inclined oriented SnSe thin films

Tin selenide (SnSe) has recently attracted great attention as a new promising thermoelectric material. In this paper, a-axis inclined oriented SnSe thin films have been fabricated by pulsed laser deposition for the development of the transverse thermoelectric effect. Large open-circuit voltage signals along the film plane are all clearly observed when the film surface is illuminated by different lasers with the wavelength ranging from 532 to 2200 nm with no external bias or a built-in electric field, and the amplitude of the output voltage can be enhanced by tuning the inclination angle of the films or the applied temperature difference across the film thickness. Moreover, transverse open-circuit voltage signals are also detected when the film surface is irradiated by a thermal heater. This work demonstrates the novel potential application of SnSe for self-powered broad-band light detectors or thermal sensors. © The Royal Society of Chemistry.