Effect of Sb content on the phase composition of CoSbx nanofilms grown on a heated substrate

• Published in: Inorganic materials Vol. 50; no. 5; pp. 431 - 436
• Main Authors: Makogon, Yu. N., Pavlova, E. P., Sidorenko, S. I., Shkarban’, R. A., Figurnaya, E. V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 2014
• Subjects: Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Inorganic Chemistry; Materials Science; Lattice Thermal Conductivity; Vacuum Annealing; Scanning Electron Micro; Antimony; CoSb
• ISSN: 0020-1685; 1608-3172
• DOI: 10.1134/S0020168514050100

We have studied the phase composition and crystal structure of CoSb x (1.82 ≤ x ≤ 4.16) nanofilms (30 nm) grown by molecular beam epitaxy on oxidized single-crystal silicon substrates at a temperature of 200°C, followed by heat treatment in vacuum at temperatures from 300 to 700°C. The as-grown films were found to be polycrystalline, with no preferential orientation. The effect of Sb content on the phase composition of the films was consistent with equilibrium phase diagram data for bulk Co-Sb materials. Vacuum annealing at temperatures above 450–500°C led to Sb sublimation not only from the crystalline phase but also from the antimonides, thereby increasing the percentages of the CoSb and CoSb 2 phases and reducing the amount of CoSb 3 . The 30-nm-thick CoSb x (1.8 ≤ x ≤ 4.16) films were thermally stable at temperatures of up to 350°C.