Aluminum Antimonide Thin Films: Structure and Properties

Protocols for sputtering stoichiometric aluminum antimonide thin films were developed by calculating aluminum and antimony vapor condensation flux densities. Aluminum and antimony were sputtered separately. The high chemical reactivity of nanosized aluminum and antimony films made it possible to reduce the synthesis temperature considerably (far below the melting point of the compound). The synthesis involved thermal annealing. The reaction between aluminum and antimony films started at 470 degrees C. Optimal AlSb formation parameters comprise annealing at 540 degrees C for at least 10 h. Film synthesis steps were studied by X-ray powder diffraction, optical, electron, and atomic force microscopy. The composition was monitored by energy dispersive X-ray spectra. The films were found to have hole conductivity; the 300-K charge density and charge mobility in the films are 1 x 10(19) cm(-3) and 1 x 10(2) cm(2)/(V s), respectively.