Photoconductivity and electrical properties of epitaxial Pb1 − xCdxSe films

Photosensitive monocrystalline films Pb_{1 − x}Cd_xSe (x⩽ 0.03) of low carrier concentration (n = 0.3 ÷ 4 × 10¹⁷ cm⁻³ have been grown by hot wall epitaxy method on cleaved (111)BaF₂ or (100)KCl substrates.Photoconductive thresholds determined by spectral response measurements (at temperatures 4.2, 77 and 300 K) were in good agreement with the fundamental absorption edges and showed a large increase in the energy gap E_g with Cd content. Photoconductivity in the impurity range (hv < E_g) was observed.The temperature dependence of the Hall coefficient and the mobility between 4.2 and 300 K have been studied. Temperature freeze out of the free carriers was observed.Discussion of the carrier scattering mechanisms and impurity photoconductivity phenomena is presented.     

Electron scattering in CdxHg1−xTe

Experimental studies of the electron mobility in Cdinx,Hgin1?xTe/0x/0.33, 10¹⁵ cm^?3n10¹⁸ cm^?3, 4.2 K ?T ?300 K/and of the thermoelectric power of intrinsic HgTe from 300 K down to 5 K are reported. These results are interpreted in terms of calculations based on the variational solution of the Boltzmann equation. Analysis shows that in pure samples at low temperatures, the electron mobility is limited by ionized donors, heavy holes, and, in some cases, unresolved defect scattering. In the doped samples with x0&#x0306;.1, disorder scattering also becomes significant. Polar-optical phonon scattering is dominant at high temperatures. The sharp decrease of mobility in the region 20–40 K, which occurs for pure samples with x0&#x030C;.14, is explained by interband optical phonon scattering. The thermoelectric power of intrinsic HgTe is strongly affected by phonon-drag of holes at low temperatures and by electron-electron scattering at high temperatures.     

Electron mobility and electron scattering in CdxHg1−xSe mixed crystals

We report a detailed study, both experimental and theoretical, of electron mobility and Hall coefficient in small-gap Cd_xHg_1?xSe mixed crystals. The electron mobility is calculated by the variational technique. The results obtained with no adjustable parameter are within 15% of the experimental values in the range of temperature 4.2–300 K, electron concentrations 7 × 10¹⁶?5 × 10¹⁸cm^?3 and composition 0 < x ? 0.25.The scattering of electrons by charged centres, optical phonons (polar and nonpolar interaction), acoustic phonons as well as disorder (alloy) scattering is taken into account. It is shown that the composition-dependent dielectric function and the band edge symmetry play an important role in the explanation of the experimental results.     

Anomalous Hall effect in highly Mn-Doped silicon films

The transport and magnetic properties of Mn _x Si_{1 ? x} films with a high (x ≈ 0.35) content of Mn produced by laser deposition at growth temperatures of 300–350°C have been studied in a temperature range of 5–300 K in magnetic fields of up to 2.5 T. The films exhibit a hole-type metallic conductivity and a relatively weak change of magnetization in a temperature range of 50–200 K. An anomalous Hall effect with an essentially hysteretic behavior from 50 K up to ≈230 K has been discovered. The properties of the films are explained by the two-phase model, in which ferromagnetic clusters containing interstitial Mn ions with a localized magnetic moment are embedded in the matrix of a weak band MnSi_{2 ? x} (x ≈ 0.3) type ferromagnet with delocalized spin density.     

Transport properties of n-type ferromagnetic semiconductor HgCr2−xInxSe4(x = 0.100)

Measurements of the electrical conductivity, magnetoresistance, and Hall effect were performed on a n-type ferromagnetic semiconductor HgCr_2?xIn_xSe₄(x = 0.100) single crystal from 6.3 to 296 K in magnetic fields up to 1.19×l0⁶A/m. The conductivity decreases rapidly near the Curie temperatureT_c (≈120 K) as the temperature is raised. A large peak in the magnetoresistance is observed near T_c. The Hall effect measurements indicate that the temperature dependence of the conductivity and the magnetoresistance are due mostly to a change in electron mobility. The electron mobility is 1.2 × 10^?2 m²/V · s at 6.3 K, and decreases rapidly near T_c with the rise in temperature. Then it increases slowly from 5.5 × 10^?4 m²/V · s at 160 K to 7.5 × 10^?4 m²/V · s at 241 K. This temperature dependence of the electron mobility can be explained in terms of the spin-disorder scattering which takes into account the exchange interaction between charge carriers and localized magnetic moments.     

Influence of germanium incorporation on the structural and electrical properties of boron-doped ultrathin poly-Si1−x Ge x films deposited by chemical vapour deposition

A few properties of polycrystalline silicon germanium (poly-Si_1?x Ge _x ) films can be tailored by modulating the germanium incorporation. In this paper, the structural, mechanical and electrical properties of heavily doped ultrathin (~100 nm) poly-Si_1?x Ge _x films (0.84 ≤ x ≤ 0.88) fabricated by low-pressure chemical vapour deposition were investigated. For a boron concentration of ~2.2 × 10²¹ atoms/cm³, a slight increase of germanium fraction significantly enhances the deposition rate, crystallinity and Hall mobility while having negligible influence on the Young’s modulus and hardness. The grain size increases from ~6 to ~12 nm while the grain structure becomes more columnar. In addition, the resistivity decreases from 7.4 to 1.1 m Ω cm with a corresponding increase in the Hall mobility from ~0.9 to ~4.2 cm² V^?1 s^?1. However, the Young’s modulus (~101 GPa) and hardness (~8.8 GPa) are virtually unaffected within the range of germanium fraction explored. In practice, poly-SiGe layer having low resistivity, high modulus, high mobility and low surface roughness can be successfully applied for resonators, biosensors and nanoswitches among others.     

Structural and electrical properties of CdSexTe1−x thin films

The ternary semiconductors compounds are found to be very useful in the fabrication of thin film devices. This paper reports the preparation of CdSe_xTe_1?x films (1 ? x ? 0) in the thickness range 1000–3000 Å by vacuum evaporation technique onto glass and mica substrates held at temperatures, 303 to 623 K in a vacuum better than 5 × 10^?6 torr. The films were characterised by determining their composition and structure. The structure of the films, examined using XRD and TEM techniques, was found to be cubic (zincblende) in the entire composition range. The electrical resistivity and Hall mobilities have been determined as a function of film composition and deposition temperature.     

Conductivity enhancement in fluorite-structured Ba1−xLaxF2+x solid solutions

The ionic conductivity of single crystals of the fluorite-structured solid solutions Ba_1?xLa_xF_2+x(10^?3 <×<0.45) has been studied as a function of temperature and composition in the range 300–900 K. Three regions can be discerned in the concentration dependence of the ionic conductivity: a dilute concentration region (x<10^?3), where classic relations between solute content and ionic conductivity hold; an intermediate concentration region (10^?3<x?5×10^?2), where large changes occur in the conductivity activation enthalpy and the magnitude of the conductivity; and a concentrated solid solution region (x?5×10^?2) characterized by enhanced ionic motion. In the dilute region the migration enthalpy for interstitial fluoride ions is determined to be 0.714 eV, while a value of 0.39 eV is found for the (La_BaF_i)^X association enthalpy. The defect chemistry in the intermediate concentration region is shown to be controlled by a superlinear increase of the concentration of mobile defects, while in the concentrated solid solution region a composition-independent amount of ≈1 mole% of interstitial fluoride ions with enhanced mobility, carry the current.     

Enhancement of the colossal magnetoresistance in Eu1 − x Ca x B6

The transport and magnetic properties of single crystal samples of substitutional solid solutions Eu_{1 ? x} Ca _x B₆ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.26) have been studied at temperatures 1.8–300 K in magnetic fields up to 80 kOe. It has been shown that an increase in the calcium concentration results in the suppression of the charge transport accompanied by an increase in the amplitude of the colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) up to the value (ρ(0) ? ρ(H))/ρ(H) ≈ 7 × 10⁵ detected for x = 0.26 at liquid-helium temperature in a field of 80 kOe. The transition from the hole-like conductivity to the electron-like conductivity has been observed in the Eu_0.74Ca_0.26B₆ solid solution in the CMR regime at T < 40 K. The Hall mobility values μH = 200?350 cm²/(V s) estimated for charge carriers in the strongly disordered matrix of the Eu_0.74Ca_0.26B₆ solid solution are comparable with the charge carrier mobility μH = 400?600 cm²/(V s) for the undoped EuB₆ compound. The anomalous behavior of the transport and magnetic parameters of the Eu_{1 ? x} Ca _x B₆ solid solutions is discussed in terms of a metal-insulator transition predicted within the double exchange model for this system with low carrier density.     

Mobility of electrons in SnS2−xSex

The electrical resistivities and Hall constants of the semiconducting compounds SnS_2?xSe_x have been measured at temperatures ranging from 100 to 450 K and three donor ionization energies (0.013, 0.086 and 0.25 eV) have been identified. The Hall mobilities exhibit for T> 200K a temperature dependence of the form μ～ (T/T₀)^?n separating the SnS_2?xSe_x compounds into two groups one behaving like SnS₂ and the other like SnSe₂.     

Coupled-optical-phonon-mode electron scattering in perovskite oxides

Conductivity and Hall effect measurements were made on KTa_1?xNb_xO₃(x= 0.00,0.04,0.11 and 0.16) in the intermediate temperature range (77–300 K). It was found that the temperatures dependence of the Hall mobility obeyed a semiempirical relationship of Wemple et al. in this temperature range. The main scattering mechanism is proposed to be longitudinal optical phonons which are coupled to the “soft” transverse optical phonons associated with ferroelectricity.     

Effect of pressure and anionic substitution on the electrical properties of HgTeS crystals

The resistivity ρ and the Hall constant R for the HgTe_1?x S_x (0.04≤x≤0.6) crystals have been investigated in the temperature range 4.2–350 K in the magnetic fields B up to 14 T. The pressure dependences of the resistivity ρ have been measured at the pressures P as high as 1 GPa at temperature T=77–300 K and magnetic field B=0–2 T. It is found that the samples with x≤0.20 exhibit a decreasing dependence ρ(T) typical of zero-gap semiconductors, whereas the samples with x≥0.27 show the dependence ρ(T) characteristic of semimetals. For the semiconducting crystals with x≈0.20 and x≈0.14, the temperature coefficient of ρ(T) changes sign at T=265 and T>300 K, respectively. Under a pressure of ≈1 GPa, the temperature of the sign inversion decreases by ≈30 K. An increase in the magnetic field B and a rise in the temperature T lead to a change in the sign of the Hall constant R for the semiconducting samples, but do not affect the electronic sign of R for the semimetallic samples. The behavior of R and ρ correlates with the thermoemf data obtained at the quasi-hydro-static pressure P up to 3 GPa. It is demonstrated that the substitution of sulfur atoms for tellurium atoms brings about an increase in the concentration of electrons and a decrease in their mobility. The transition to the wide-gap semiconductor phase is observed at P>1–1.5 GPa. The conclusion is drawn that the semimetallic crystals HgTe_1?x S_x with x≥0.27 and HgSe are similar in properties.     

Ferromagnetism in amorphous Ge1−xMnx grown by low temperature vapor deposition

Magnetic properties of amorphous Ge_1−xMn_x thin films were investigated. The thin films were grown at 373 K on (100) Si wafers by using a thermal evaporator. Growth rate was ∼35 nm/min and average film thickness was around 500 nm. The electrical resistivities of Ge_1−xMn_x thin films are 5.0×10⁻⁴∼100 Ω cm at room temperature and decrease with increasing Mn concentration. Low temperature magnetization characteristics and magnetic hysteresis loops measured at various temperatures show that the amorphous Ge_1−xMn_x thin films are ferromagnetic but the ferromagnetic magnetizations are changing gradually into paramagnetic as increasing temperature. Curie temperature and saturation magnetization vary with Mn concentration. Curie temperature of the deposited films is 80-160 K, and saturation magnetization is 35-100 emu/cc at 5 K. Hall effect measurement at room temperature shows the amorphous Ge_1−xMn_x thin films have p-type carrier and hole densities are in the range from 7×10¹⁷ to 2×10²² cm⁻³.     

Electrical transport measurements in TiS3

Results of measurements of conductivity and Hall coefficient in the temperature range 15–300K and of thermal emf in the temperature range 80–400K, carried out on TiS₃ samples, are reported. The results indicate that these crystals are semiconducting with extrinsic n-type conductivity. The mobility of the carriers is about 30 cm²/V sec at room temperature, increases up to about 100 cm²/V sec at 100K and drops at lower temperatures. The Seebeck coefficient is in qualitative agreement with these findings but its detailed temperature dependence is not yet understood.     

Electrophysical parameters of <Emphasis Type="Italic">c</Emphasis>-oriented Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>Te<Subscript>3</Subscript> films with a low concentration of antistructural defects

Epitaxial c-oriented Bi₂Te₃ films 1.2 μm in thickness are grown by the hot wall method for a low supersaturation of the vapor phase over the surface of mica substrates. The hexagonal unit cell parameters a = 4.386 Å and c = 30.452 Å of the grown films almost coincide with the corresponding parameters of stoichiometric bulk Bi₂Te₃ crystals. At T = 100 K, the Hall concentration of electrons in the films is on the order of 8 × 10¹⁸ cm^?3, while the highest values of the thermoelectric coefficient (α ≈ 280 μV K^?1) are observed at temperatures on the order of 260 K. Under impurity conduction conditions, conductivity σ of the films increases upon cooling in inverse proportion to the squared temperature. In the temperature range 100–200 K, thermoelectric power parameter α²σ of Bi₂Te₃ films has values of 80–90 μW cm^?1 K^?2.     

Hall effect and conductivity in thin films of low temperature chalcocite Cu2S at 20°C as a function of stoichiometry

Thin films of Cu_xS with stoichiometric compositions between Cu_2.000S and Cu_1.995S, i.e. monoclinic chalcocite have been prepared by evaporation of Cu_1.8S and by reactive sputtering deposition from a Cu target in an Ar-H₂S-H₂, atmosphere. The hole concentration c_h and the hole conductivity σ_h have been determined as a function of the composition x of Cu_xS at 20°C using the van der Pauw method for Hall effect and electrical conductivity measurements. From the results the Hall mobility u_h for holes has been calculated. The values for Cu_1.999S are σ_h = 7Ω^?1 cm^?1, c_h = 1.5 × 10¹⁹cm^?3u_h = 3 cm²V^?1sec^?1, those for Cu_1.995S are σ_h=35Ω^?1cm^?1, c_h=1.0 × 10²⁰ cm^?3, u_h=2 cm² V^? sec^?1. Values for intermediate stoichiometries will be reported in the text.     

Magnetic and electrical properties of amorphous Ge1−xCrx thin films grown by low temperature vapor deposition

Amorphous Ge_1−xCr_x thin films are deposited on (1 0 0)Si by using a thermal evaporator. Amorphous phase is obtained when Cr concentration is lower than 30.7 at%. The electrical resistivities are 1.89×10⁻³–0.96×10² Ω cm at 300 K, and decrease with Cr concentration. The Ge_1−xCr_x thin films are p-type. The hole concentrations are 5×10¹⁶–7×10²¹ cm⁻³ at 300 K, and increase with Cr concentration. Magnetizations are 7.60–1.57 emu/cm³ at 5 K in the applied field of 2 T. The magnetizations decrease with Cr concentration and temperature. Magnetization characteristics show that the Ge_1−xCr_x thin films are paramagnetic.     

Subnanosecond transient photocurrents in a-Si:H: A probe of thermalization within shallow band-tail states

The measurement of transient photocurrents in amorphous semiconductors has been shown to be a powerful way of exploring the thermalization of excess carriers within the manifold of localized states adjacent to the band edges. The extent to which thermalization within the shallowest states can be resolved in controlled by the experimental observation time. Reported here are measurements of transient photocurrents, using high-speed stripline techniques, in glow-discharge a-Si:H carried out in the time regime (0.6 ? 100 nsec) and the temperature range 150 ? 320K. We find an effective electron drift mobility of <μ_D(t)> = 1–3 cm²/Vsec at t=0.6 nsec and T=300K and a time-dependent activation energy, _?(t), for the photocurrent magnitude. The initial photocurrent decay (t < 100 nsec) can be fit to a power-law, t^?n, and the temperature dependence of the dispersion parameter, α=1?n, is given by α=α₀+βT. In view of these results the nature of the band-tail near the conduction band edge is discussed.     

Hall effect in electrically switched memory state of Te81Ge15As4

Conductivity and Hall effect measurements were performed in the electrically switched memory state of Te₈₁Ge₁₅As₄ at various temperatures. According to the experimental data the conductivity is mainly due to free holes. Both carrier concentration and Hall mobility are temperature independent and of the order of 10²⁰ cm^?3 and 50 cm²V^?1 sec^?1 respectively.     

Hall to drift mobility ratio in Ga1−xAlxAs alloys

Hall concentration measurements as a function of temperature ($\text{750 ? T ? 77}\text{K}$) on n-type epitaxial layers of Ga_1?xAl_xAs in the composition range $\text{0 ? x ? 0.78}$, have been used to evaluate the composite dependence of the Hall to drift mobility ratio in this alloy at 300 K. This ratio is found to be close to unity for alloy compositions $\text{0 ? x ? 0.25}$ and $\text{0.6 ? x ? 0.78}$, but attains a maximum value of 3.8 at x = 0.42 due to the multiconduction Hall effect.