Electrical Properties of β-FeSi₂ Thin Films on Insulating Substrates

Abstract

Iron silicide thin films were prepared on insulating substrates using RF magnetron sputtering method. Amorphous, polycrystalline and epitaxial β-FeSi 2 were obtained on MgO(001), Al 2 O 3 (110) and Al 2 O 3 (001) substrates, respectively. Electrical conductivities of these films showed similar temperature dependence. Intrinsic band conduction and hopping conduction mechanism were predominant above and below 600K, respectively. The localized ordering in the polycrystalline and epitaxial films that controled the movement of carriers were as low as in the amorphous film. For the epitaxial β-FeSi 2 film, electrical conductivity below 600K were affected by atomic ratio of silicon to iron (Si/Fe) in the films, because the localized ordering in the films decreased as Si/Fe atomic ratio decreased. · EXPERIMENTAL DETAILSIron silicide films were prepared on Al 2 O 3 (001), Al 2 O 3 (110) and MgO(001) substrates at Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. Vol. 796