The application of the size-effect correction to quenched-in resistivity measurements

Abstract

Measurements of quenched-in resistivity ( Delta rho obs)Q as a function of temperature can yield values of the effective enthalpy for vacancy defect formation HeffF. The samples are usually made thin to achieve high quenching rates and pure to avoid vacancy-impurity clustering during the quench. The higher the sample purity and the thinner the sample, the more the sample resistance is affected by scattering of electrons from the sample surface. Inadequate correction for this size effect can result in errors in the values of Delta rho Q and thus HeffF. The magnitude of the errors using Fuchs-Sondheimer (1938, 1952) and Dingle (1950) theories is discussed. A possible method of obtaining reliable size-effect corrections is suggested by an application of Soffer theory (1967).