Annealing Effect in Tellurium Films

Abstract

Using electron microscopy, X ray diffraction techniques and Hall effect measurement, the annealing effect on the crystallinity and electronic properties of evaporated Te films was investigated as a function of annealing time and temperature. A very short-period (5 min) annealing in Ar gas at 320°C was found to be effective in improving both the crystallinity and electronic properties of small-grain Te films. The average grain size increased from 0.1 µm to 0.6 µm and the corresponding changes in the Hall mobility and carrier concentration were from 10 to 160 cm2·V-1·sec-1 and from 4×1018 to 6×1017 cm-3, respectively. Preferred orientation with the c axis parallel to the substrate also occurred during the course of recrystallization due to annealing at 320°C.