Ageing effect of Sb2Te3 thin films

Post deposition variation in film resistance of Sb2Te3 films deposited on glass substrates at room temperature and an elevated temperature (110 degreesC) are investigated. The resistance of films grown at room temperature shows a non-linear decrease with time which is thickness dependent as opposed to the increasing resistance of film grown at elevated temperature. The decreasing resistance with time can be attributed to the transformation of an amorphous phase of the as-grown film to a micro-crystalline phase as revealed by X-ray diffraction. The increasing resistance was found to be due to the surface oxidation (Sb2O3) and a diffusion as a function of time. However, the underneath layer of Sb2Te3 below the top Sb2O3 layer remains amorphous even after 2 years from the date of fabrication. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.