Thermoelectric power of amorphous alloys near the metal-insulator transition

The thermoolectric powerS and the electrical conductivity σ of amorphous Au_xSb_100-x and Cu_xSb_100-x films have been measured in the temperature range between about 2 K and 350 K for concentrations close to the eetal-insulator transition. In both systems the transition occurs at a critical concentrationx _c≈8 at.% noble metal content. A characteristic feature of the transition is in both cases a strong increase of the low temperature slope of the thermopower, i.e.S/T| _t»0 , when approachingx _c from the metallic side. The results are compared with different theoretical predictions for the metal-insulator transition. Furthermore we report on the changes ofS and σ during annelaing. It will be shown that especiallyS(T) of the samples withx close tox _c depends strongly on the annealing state of the films.     

Effects of oxygen partial pressure and substrate temperature on the structure and optical properties of MgxZn1−xO thin films prepared by magnetron sputtering

Deposited with different oxygen partial pressures and substrate temperatures, Mg_xZn_1−xO thin films were prepared using a Mg_0.6Zn_0.4O ceramic target by magnetron sputtering. The structural and optical properties of the prepared thin films were investigated. The X-ray diffraction spectra reveal that all the films on quartz substrate are grown along (2 0 0) orientation with cubic structure. The lattice constant decreases and the crystallite size increases with the increase of substrate temperature. Both energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and calculated results suggest the ratio of Mg/Zn increases with increasing substrate temperature. The thin film deposited with T_s = 500 °C has a minimal rms roughness of 7.37 nm. The transmittance of all the films is higher than 85% in the visual region. The optical band gap is not sensitive to the oxygen partial pressure, while it increases from 5.63 eV for T_s = 100 °C to 5.95 eV for T_s = 700 °C. In addition, the refractive indices calculated from transmission spectra are sensitive to the substrate temperature. The photoluminescence spectra of Mg_xZn_1−xO thin films excited by 330 nm ultraviolet light indicate that the peak intensity of the spectra is influenced by the oxygen partial pressure and substrate temperature.     

Effects of deposition temperature on the structure of amorphous carbon nitride films

Amorphous carbon nitride films (a-CN_x) were deposited on Si(100) under different rf power and at different substrate temperature T_S using rf magnetron sputtering of a high-purity graphite target in pure nitrogen. IR absorption, Raman spectra, and residual stress measurements are used to characterise the films in the as deposited state. The differences in the microstructure of the a-CN_x films is related to differences in the deposition mechanism. The T_S contribution can operate to increase the connectivity of the C-C network. The stress evolution is the result of the densification, i.e. a structural transformation within of the films that accompanies the nitrogen evolution, due to the C-N and C-C evolution when T_S is increased.     

Spin-glass and spin-fluctuation in Mo-doped Ca3Co4O9 system

Structural, magnetic, resistivity and thermal transport measurements have been performed to study the Mo-doping effect on a layered cobaltite Ca₃Co_4−xMo_xO₉(0≤x≤0.4) system. The results indicate that the low-temperature magnetic behavior of the system changes from a ferrimagnetic state to a spin-glass-like state upon Mo doping, which is due to the decrease in the average valence of Co ions. Moreover, all the Mo-doped samples have a higher resistivity and larger thermopower S compared with the Mo-free sample. The variation in the resistivity and thermopower between the Mo-doped and the Mo-free samples is dominated by the change in the carrier concentration of the samples. In the Mo-doped samples with x≥0.1, both the resistivity and thermopower decrease gradually with increasing Mo-doping level, which is suggested to mainly originate from the variation in the carrier mobility of the samples. In addition, an obvious thermopower upturn is observed in the S(T) curve of all the Mo-doped samples, which can be explained by the enhancement of spin-fluctuation induced by Mo-doping.     

Electronic transport properties of stuffed compositions of ferromagnetic copper chromium telluride: Cu1+xCr2Te4 (x=0-1)

We present here a detailed study of electronic transport properties of the metallic-ferromagnetic compounds Cu_1+xCr₂Te₄, having excess Cu atoms with x=0-1, from 2 to 400 K. The stuffing of the copper atoms in the parent structure reduces the ferromagnetic ordering temperature T_C from 325 to 156 K, while for the entire range the dependence of the electrical resistance and the thermopower with temperature and the anomalies in them on the magnetic ordering remain similar. All the compounds show a magnon-drag contribution in thermopower as a positive maximum around T_C/3, and a T² - dependence of resistivity at low temperatures. The increasing effects of the short range magnetic ordering in the paramagnetic resistivity are seen with the increase in the stuffing of atoms in these compounds. The transport properties are explained by the current carriers —the holes in a wide energy band dominated by the p-state of Te-atoms, which are scattered by the spindisorder in the paramagnetic phase and from the magnons in the ferromagnetic phase.     

Properties of Hg1−xZnxSe (0.09 ⩽ x ⩽ 1.0) thin films prepared by flash evaporation technique

Flash evaporated mercury zinc selenide films are observed to grow as single phase ternary alloys of the type Hg_1−xZn_xSe in the composition range 0.09 ⩽ x ⩽ 1.0, with a f.c.c./sphalerite structure on substrates maintained at T_s between 30°C and 175°C. The grain size is observed to increase with increase in T_s for all compositions. The films are observed to have a direct optical band gap which increases from 0.01 to 2.60 eV as the Zn concentration x is varied between 0.09 and 1.0. The band gap V_scomposition shows a bowing, typical of pseudobinary solid solutions. Zn rich films were observed to be p-type whereas Hg-rich films were n-type. Room temperature resistivity was observed to increase with Zn concentration x, which can be attributed to the increase in the band gap of the semiconductors. Higher resistivity in films deposited at high substrate temperatures is due to the decrease in contribution to conduction from the highly conducting grain boundaries.     

Growth and characterization of polycrystalline Ge1−xCx by reactive pulsed laser deposition

Polycrystalline thin films of Ge-C were grown on Si (1 1 1) substrates by means of reactive pulsed laser deposition with methane pressure of 100 mTorr. Effect substrate temperature, T_s, on C incorporation to substitutional sites (x) in Ge_1−xC_x was investigated systematically by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyzes. The substrate temperatures were ranging from 250 to 400 °C. The substitutional C composition x in the films by XRD were estimated using the Vegard's linear law. The maximum value of x calculated by XRD was 0.032 for T_s of 350 °C. The position of the C 1s peak at 283.4 eV in the XPS spectrum confirmed the germanium-carbon alloys. XRD measurements indicated that x increased with T_s from 250 °C to 350 °C. At T_s = 400 °C, the estimation of x was lowered. However, the C content calculated by XPS analyzes increased with T_s being more these values than substitutional C composition x. XPS and XRD analyzes demonstrate that the remaining C atoms are incorporated to interstitial sites. The use of the T_s plays important roles in the incorporation of substitutional C and in restraining C-cluster formation in the reactive pulsed laser deposition growth of Ge-C/Si.     

Structure and magnetic properties of co-sputtered Co–C thin films

We studied the structure and magnetic properties of co-sputtered Co_1−xC_x thin films using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and a SQUID magnetometer. These properties were found to depend critically on deposition temperature, T_S, and composition, x. Generally, phase separation into metallic Co and graphite-like carbon phases proceeds with increasing T_S and decreasing x. Plan view and cross-sectional TEM images of the films prepared showed that Co grains about 10–20 nm in diameter and 30–50 nm in height are three-dimensionally separated by graphite-like carbon layers 1–2 nm thick. Optimum magnetic properties with saturation magnetization of 380 emu/cc and coercivity of 400 Oe were obtained for a film with x=0.5 and T_S=350°C.     

Effect of elastic stresses on the thermoelectric properties of Pb1−x GexTe epitaxial layers

The temperature dependence of the thermopower of Pb_1?x Ge_xTe (x = 0.01?0.05) epitaxial films grown on BaF₂(111) substrates was measured. The temperature of the ferroelectric phase transition was found to disagree with that obtained for bulk single crystals of the same composition. This disagreement was explained as resulting from the effect of elastic stresses arising in the crystal lattice of the Pb_1?x Ge_xTe compound due to the difference between the thermal expansion coefficients of the film and the substrate during cooling of the layers from the growth temperature to the temperature of measurement.     

Thermopower and transport mechanism of the La2−xSrxCu0.94Ti0.06O4 system

The thermal properties and their relationship to the charge transport properties of the La_2?xSr_xCu_0.94Ti_0.06O₄ solid solution series have been investigated by means of electric resistivity and thermopower measurements. The different changes of the broad peak in S–T curves for Sr-doped samples were observed, which may result from the itinerant hole carriers. The transport mechanism of La_2?xSr_xCu_0.94Ti_0.06O₄ is mainly dominated by the small-polaron hopping due to the discrepancy in the activation energy derived from the resistivity and the thermoelectric power. The small polarons are not originated from the magnetic coupling between magnetic ions and hole spins, but from the coupling between the phonon with a breathing mode and the hole carriers.     

Pulsed laser deposition of NdNiO3 thin films

We report the structural and transport properties of NdNiO₃ thin films prepared via pulsed laser deposition over various substrates. The films were well textured and c-axis oriented with good crystalline properties. The electrical resistivity of the films undergoes a metal-insulator transition, depending on the deposition process. Well-defined first order metal-insulator phase transition (T_MI) was observed in the best quality films without high pressure processing. Various growth conditions such as substrate temperature, oxygen pressure and thickness were varied to see their influence on T_MI. Deposition temperature was found to have a great impact on the electrical and structural properties of these films. Further the films deposited on LaAlO₃ substrate were found to be highly oriented with uniform grain size as observed from X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy, whereas those on Si substrate were polycrystalline, dense and randomly oriented.     

Defects in nanocrystalline Nb films: Effect of sputtering temperature

Thin niobium (Nb) films (thickness 350-400 nm) were prepared on (1 0 0)Si substrate in a UHV chamber using the cathode beam sputtering. The sputtering temperature T_s was varied from 40 up to 500 °C and the influence of the sputtering temperature on the microstructure of thin Nb films was investigated. Defect studies of the thin Nb films sputtered at various temperatures were performed by slow positron implantation spectroscopy (SPIS) with measurement of the Doppler broadening of the annihilation line. SPIS was combined with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). We have found that the films sputtered at T_s = 40 °C exhibit elongated, column-like nanocrystalline grains. No significant increase of grain size with T_s (up to 500 °C) was observed by TEM. The thin Nb films sputtered at T_s = 40 °C contain a high density of defects. It is demonstrated by shortened positron diffusion length and a high value of the S parameter for Nb layer compared to the well-annealed (defect-free) bulk Nb reference sample. A drastic decrease of defect density was found in the films sputtered at T_s ≥ 300 °C. It is reflected by a significant increase of the positron diffusion length and a decrease of the S parameter for the Nb layer. The defect density in the Nb layer is, however, still substantially higher than in the well-annealed reference bulk Nb sample. Moreover, there is a layer at the interface between the Nb film and the substrate with very high density of defects comparable to that in the films sputtered at T_s < 300 °C. All the Nb films studied exhibit a strong (1 1 0) texture. The films sputtered at T_s < 300 °C are characterized by a compressive macroscopic in-plane stress due to lattice mismatch between the film and the substrate. Relaxation of the in-plane stress was observed in the films sputtered at T_s ≥ 300 °C. The width of the XRD profiles of the films sputtered at T_s ≥ 300 °C is significantly smaller compared to the films sputtered at lower temperatures. This is most probably due to a lower defect density which results in reduced microstrains in the films sputtered at higher temperatures.     

Effect of substrate temperature and annealing temperature on the structural, electrical and microstructural properties of thin Pt films by rf magnetron sputtering

Influence of both substrate temperature, T_s, and annealing temperature, T_a, on the structural, electrical and microstructural properties of sputtered deposited Pt thin films have been investigated. X-ray diffraction results show that as deposited Pt films (T_s = 300, 400 °C) are preferentially oriented along (1 1 1) direction. A little growth both along (2 0 0) and (3 1 1) directions are also noticed in the as deposited Pt films. After annealing in air (T_a = 500-700 °C), films become strongly oriented along (1 1 1) plane. With annealing temperature, average crystallite size, D, of the Pt films increases and micro-strain, e, and lattice constant, a₀, decreases. Residual strain observed in the as deposited Pt films is found to be compressive in nature while that in the annealed films is tensile. This change in the strain from compressive to tensile upon annealing is explained in the light of mismatch between the thermal expansion coefficients of the film material and substrate. Room temperature resistivity of Pt films is dependant on both the T_s and T_a of the films. Observed decrease in the film resistivity with T_a is discussed in terms of annihilation of film defects and grain-boundary. Scanning electron microscopic study reveals that as the annealing temperature increases film densification improves. But at an annealing temperature of ∼600 °C, pinholes appear on the film surface and the size of pinhole increases with further increase in the annealing temperature. From X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis, existence of a thin layer of chemisorbed atomic oxygen is detected on the surfaces of the as deposited Pt films. Upon annealing, coverage of this surface oxygen increases.     

Anisotropic thermopower of (TMTSF)2PF6: 1D–2D cross over and SDW ordering

The thermopower of (TMTSF)₂PF₆ has been measured along the a-axis as well as along the b-axis. Marked anisotropy is seen in the whole temperature region studied. Close to 100 K, an anomaly is attributed to cross over from dominating one-dimensionality to dominating two-dimensionality. Precursor effects seen in S_a near T_c are attributed to SDW fluctuations. Well below T_c, both thermopower components exhibit typical semiconducting properties.     

BCS-like behaviour in the superconducting state of itinerant antiferromagnetic CrRe alloys

Measurements of the heat capacity and the magnetic susceptibility have revealed BCS-like behaviour in the superconducting state of itinerant antiferromagnetic Cr_1?xRe_x alloys for x = 0.30) and 0.26. The thermodynamic quantities, such as electronic heat capacity and thermodynamic critical field have been reproduced with the BCS theory with the energy gap Δ = (1.76 ± 0.05)k_BT_s, where T_S is the superconducting transition temperature for the corresponding system: T_S = 3.61 K (2.35 K) for x = 0.30 (0.26).     

Magnetic polarons,clusters, and their effect on the electric properties of weakly doped lanthanum manganites

The resistivity, magnetoresistance, thermopower, and magnetic susceptibility of La_1?xA_xMnO₃(A≡Ca,Sr;x=0.07–0.1) single crystals are investigated in the temperature range from 77 to 400 K. Sharp changes in the properties (the resistivity activation energy ΔEρ, its temperature coefficient γ, the thermopower activation energy ΔE _S , the magnetoresistance, and the appearance of spontaneous magnetization) of these crystals occur near a temperature of 275±25 K, which is approximately twice as high as their Curie point T_C and approximately half of the structural transition temperature. The results are explained by the phase separation: the formation of ferromagnetic clusters. The phase separation occurs through the coalescence of small-radius unsaturated magnetic polarons, in which only two or three magnetic moments of Mn are polarized, into a large-radius ferromagnetic polaron (a cluster about 10–12 Å in size) with several charge carriers. As a result, the short-range order occurs in the cluster at a temperature of about 275 K, which is close to T _C of conducting doped manganites. The results of the experimental studies of the resistivity and the magnetoresistance as functions of temperature and magnetic field and the estimates agree well with the cluster model.     

Structural and electrical characterization of SxSe100−x thin films

Thin films of samples of the glassy S_xSe_100−x system with 0 ≤ x ≤ 7.28 have been prepared by thermal evaporation technique at room temperature (300 K). X-ray investigations show that the structure of pure selenium (Se) does change seriously by the addition of small amount of sulphur S ≤7.28%. The lattice parameters were determined as a function of sulphur content. Results of differential thermal analysis (DTA) of the glassy compositions of the system S_xSe_100−x were discussed. The characteristic temperatures (T_g, T_c and T_m) were evaluated. Dark electrical resistivities, ρ, of S_xSe_100−x thin films with different thicknesses from 100 to 500 nm, were measured in the temperature range from 300 to 423 K. Two distinct linear parts with different activation energies were observed. The variation of electrical resistivity of examined compositions has been discussed as a function of the film thickness, temperature and the sulphur content. The application of Mott model for the phonon assisted hopping of small polarons gave the same two activation energies obtained from the resistivity temperature calculations.     

Effect of thermal process on magnetic anisotropy in FeCoB soft underlayer

Relationship between magnetic anisotropy field H_k and thermal processes during the preparation has been studied for FeCoB thin films. The FeCoB films deposited on the glass substrates by facing targets sputtering successfully showed strong magnetic anisotropy when the substrate was heated at the substrate temperature T_s above 100 °C. Additionally, the lattice spacing of FeCo(1 1 0) in the perpendicular direction was found to decrease depending on the substrate temperature T_s. Among various temperature histories, the heating processes with a phase of increasing T_s revealed the further improvement of H_k. Meanwhile, high H_k in the films disappears after the post-deposition annealing at the temperature above 400 °C.     

Anomalous thermopower in heavy-fermion compounds CeB<Subscript>6</Subscript>, CeAl<Subscript>3</Subscript>, and CeCu<Subscript>6 − <Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Au<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>

High-precision measurements of thermopower have been performed in a wide temperature range (2–300 K) for a series of cerium-based heavy-fermion compounds, including CeB₆, CeAl₃, CeCu₆, and substitutional solid solutions of the CeCu_{6 ? x} Au _x system (x = 0.1, 0.2). All compounds exhibit an unusual (logarithmic) asymptotic behavior of the temperature dependence of the Seebeck coefficient: S ∝ ?lnT. In the case of cerium hexaboride, this anomalous behavior of S(T) is accompanied by the appearance of weak-carrier-localization-mode asymptotics in the conductivity (σ(T) ∝ T ^0.39), while the paramagnetic susceptibility χ(T) and the effective mass of charge carriers m _eff(T) vary according to a power law (χ(T), m _eff(T) ∝ T ^?0.8) in the temperature interval T = 10–80 K. This behavior corresponds to renormalization of the density of states at the Fermi level. The observed anomalous behavior of thermopower in CeB₆ and other cerium-based intermetallic compounds is attributed to the formation of heavy fermions (many-body states in the metal matrix) at low temperatures.     

Transport properties in the pseudobinary (Gd,Y) Al2 series

The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity, the thermal conductivity and the thermopower of the cubic isostructural (Gd_xY_1–x)Al₂ series will be presented. The magnetic properties of this system are characterized by the existence of ferromagnetism for Gd concentrations x>0.3 while for low Gd contents cluster and spinglass behaviour is observed. The spin dependent scattering contribution to the transport phenomena has been obtained by comparing the experimental data of the magnetic compounds with those of the isostructural nonmagnetic YAl₂. For the ferromagnetic concentration range and forT>T _c (T _c =Curie temperature) we revealed a temperature independent contribution to the electrical resistivity, a contribution with a temperature variation of 1/T to the thermal resistivity and a linear temperature dependence of this part to the thermopower. These results are in good agreement with the temperature dependence calculated by solving the linearized Boltzmann equation for this type of scattering processes.