Ladungstransport in dünnen Filmen

Abstract

The electronic charge transport in thin indium films of high purity is investigated (direct current, eddy current and magnetoresistance in a magnetic field perpendicular to the surface) at low temperatures where surface scattering of the electrons becomes important.A method is described which allows the determination of the mean free path (corresponding to a Sommerfeld-model for the conduction electrons) for a single specimen by measuring both the direct current conductivity and the decay time of eddy currents. For a multivalent metal like indium, with a Fermi surface extending over different Brillouin zones, the “mean free path” evaluated in this way can no longer be regarded as the mean value of the electronic free path calculated over the whole Fermi surface. It is shown, that for indium the „mean free path” evaluated from our size effect investigations will mainly correspond to the electrons of the second zone, and that the electrons of the third zone only neglectingly contribute to the electronic charge transport.