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The growing market for sensors, Internet of Things, and wearable devices is fueling the development of low-cost energy-harvesting materials and systems. Film based thermoelectric (TE) devices offer the ability to address the energy requirements by using ubiquitously available waste-heat. This review narrates recent advancements in fabricating high-performance TE films and superlattice structures, from the aspects of microstructure control, doping, defects, composition, surface roughness, substrate effect, interface control, nanocompositing, and crystal preferred orientation realized by regulating various deposition parameters and subsequent heat treatment. The review begins with a brief account of heat conduction mechanism, quantum confinement effect in periodic layers, film deposition processes, thin film configurations and design consideration for TE in-plane devices. It then proceeds to analyzing the latest …