Etching and Compositional Ratio Effect on the Surface Properties of Bismuth Telluride Thin Films

• Published in: Surfaces (Basel) Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 181 - 195
• Main Authors: Mun, Jeongho, Han, Sangmin, Yoon, Hee-Seung, Kang, Jisoo, Jonas, Oliver, Park, Juyun, Kang, Yong-Cheol
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.03.2024
• Subjects: Atomic force microscopy; bismuth telluride; Bismuth tellurides; Contact angle; Etching; Grain size; Intermetallic compounds; Investigations; Ion etching; Magnetic properties; Magnetron sputtering; Molecular beam epitaxy; Nanomaterials; Oxidation; Photoelectrons; Ratios; RF magnetron co-sputtering; Scanning electron microscopy; Spectrum analysis; surface; Surface properties; thin film; Thin films; Work functions; X ray photoelectron spectroscopy; X-ray diffraction; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US; South Korea
• ISSN: 2571-9637; 2571-9637
• DOI: 10.3390/surfaces7010012

Bismuth telluride has garnered considerable attention owing to its versatile properties applicable in thermoelectric and antibacterial domains, as well as its intriguing topological insulating properties. In this work, our group fabricated bismuth telluride thin films with various ratios using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The surface properties of these thin films were thoroughly analyzed by employing a diverse array of analytical techniques, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), four-point probe and contact angle (CA) measurements. Specifically, our XPS findings indicated that Bi is more susceptible to oxidation than Te following Ar+-ion etching. Pure Te thin films exhibited the highest Rq value of 31.2 nm based on AFM and SEM results due to their larger grain sizes. The XRD patterns revealed a peak at 27.75° for thin films with 20% Te, attributed to its rhombohedral structure. Moreover, thin films with 30% Te yielded the highest weighted average work function with a value of 4.95 eV after etching. Additionally, pristine Bi and Te thin films demonstrated the most robust hydrophobic properties compared to intermediate-composition thin films, as determined by CA measurements.