InSb Thin Films Research Articles

Study on Epitaxial Growth of High‐Quality InSb Materials

AbstractThis paper discusses the optimization of the growth temperature and Sb/In ratio of 1 µm InSb thin films grown on GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy due to the InSb materials with larger lattice constants have smaller growth windows. The results show that atomic steps can be clearly seen in InSb thin films grown at 420 °C with a Sb/In ratio of 6. The InSb material grown under this condition has the smallest FWHM, indicating the best crystal quality. At the same time, the highest electron mobility measured at room temperature is 38860 cm2 V−1 s−1. The transport properties and crystal quality of InSb/AlxIn1‐xSb heterostructures corresponding to different Al compositions are also studied. The results show that as the Al component increases, dislocation scattering caused by lattice mismatch affects the electron mobility of the channel layer. The highest electron mobility of InSb/AlxIn1‐xSb heterostructures obtained is 18900 cm2 V−1 s−1 at room temperature.

Interplay between intervalley scattering and impact ionization induced by intense terahertz pulses in InSb thin films

Interplay between intervalley scattering and impact ionization induced by intense terahertz pulses in InSb thin films

Formation of Thin Films of InSb on Pristine and Modified Si(111) Using Solid Phase Epitaxy

Formation of Thin Films of InSb on Pristine and Modified Si(111) Using Solid Phase Epitaxy

Speciation analysis of inorganic Sb leached from InSb thin films by hydride generation–microwave plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy

Speciation analysis of inorganic Sb leached from InSb thin films by hydride generation–microwave plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy

Tunability of optical properties of InSb films developed by pulsed laser deposition

The InSb thin films were successfully prepared from binary alloy target by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) onto heated Si/SiO2 substrates at various deposition temperatures (Td) ranging from room temperature to 400 °C. The evolutions of structural (XRD, XPS), microstructural (AFM, SEM) and optical (XPS, FTIR, RAMAN) properties as a function of deposition temperature were systematically taken into account. The analyzed results indicate that the films are well crystallized with Zinc Blende (ZB) structure for Td ≥ RT. Increasing Td induces significant signature of preferentially crystal orientations of (h11) accompanied by distinctive microstructural evolution from continuous fashion (Td ≤ 300 °C) to almost isolated islands feature (Td ≥ 350 °C). Derivations of crystallite sizes, lattice strain, dislocation density, Lotgering orientation factor, and root mean square roughness were correlated with Raman shift and XPS analysis, and optical properties. The developed thin films allow to observe the flexibility of optical band gap energy (from 0.18 eV to 0.50 eV), which is directly related to the quantum confinement effect coupled with the band-filling effect of Burstein–Moss shift.

Merging Nanowires and Formation Dynamics of Bottom‐Up Grown InSb Nanoflakes

AbstractIndium Antimonide (InSb) is a semiconductor material with unique properties, that are suitable for studying new quantum phenomena in hybrid semiconductor‐superconductor devices. The realization of such devices with defect‐free InSb thin films is challenging, since InSb has a large lattice mismatch with most common insulating substrates. Here, the controlled synthesis of free‐standing 2D InSb nanostructures, termed as “nanoflakes”, on a highly mismatched substrate is presented. The nanoflakes originate from the merging of pairs of InSb nanowires grown in V‐groove incisions, each from a slanted and opposing {111}B facet. The relative orientation of the two nanowires within a pair, governs the nanoflake morphologies, exhibiting three distinct ones related to different grain boundary arrangements: no boundary (type‐I), Σ3‐ (type‐II), and Σ9‐boundary (type‐III). Low‐temperature transport measurements indicate that type‐III nanoflakes are of a relatively lower quality compared to type‐I and type‐II, based on field‐effect mobility. Moreover, type‐III nanoflakes exhibit a conductance dip attributed to an energy barrier pertaining to the Σ9‐boundary. Type‐I and type‐II nanoflakes exhibit promising transport properties, suitable for quantum devices. This platform hosting nanoflakes next to nanowires and nanowire networks can be used to selectively deposit the superconductor by inter‐shadowing, yielding InSb‐superconductor hybrid devices with minimal post‐fabrication steps.

Composition dependent structural, electrical, and optical properties of p-type InSb thin film for homojunction device application

A key component of IR detectors and sources is the indium antimonide, having a narrow direct band gap of 0.17eV. The present paper deals with the fabrication, structural, electrical, and optical properties of p-type indium antimonide thin films of about 300 nm thickness by thermal evaporation technique on ultrasonically cleaned glass substrates with different compositions having formula InxSb1-x. Hall measurement indicates that the asfabricated films were p-type, having a carrier concentration of 0.435 x1018to 1.590 x1018 cm-3 and mobility of 3.29 – 6.62 cm2 /V-s for the film thickness of 300 nm. The activation energy (Ea) was determined and found to be in the range of 0.710 – 0.518 eV from the measurement of electrical resistivity of thin films in the temperature ranges of 313 K - 363 K. X-ray diffraction studies revealed the diffraction peaks (111), (220), and (311) confirm the bulk and thin film formation of InSb polycrystalline materials. The grain size (D), dislocation density(δ), and Strain (ε) have been calculated using XRD data. The lattice parameter (a=b=c) was found to be 6.7074Å from the X-ray diffraction method (XRD). The surface morphology study of thin film through scanning electron microscope reveals the formation of nano-grains with grain size ranging between 7.63 nm to 26.32 nm and surface area of 672-1343 nm2 .

Heteroepitaxial growth of InSb thin film on SrTiO3 (001) by pulsed laser deposition for magnetic Hall sensor application

Ⅲ–Ⅴ semiconductor compound InSb with a zinc blende structure and extremely high electron mobility was grown as a thin film on SrTiO3 (STO)(001) substrate by pulsed laser deposition. The growth of (111) oriented InSb was observed despite a large lattice mismatch of 1.6% ([1−10]InSb ∣∣ [010]STO) and 17.8% ([11−2]InSb ∣∣ [100]STO). Electron mobility of 94 cm2 V−1s−1 at room temperature was confirmed by Hall effect measurement and the magnetic field reversal down to 1 Oe was detected. Growth of InSb/STO (001) thin film could be a promising approach for the detection of magnetic signals from various perovskite type functional oxide materials and will find applications in future devices.

Improvement of the structural properties and environmental stability of flexible InSb thin films by dopant-assisted crystallization

Improvement of the structural properties and environmental stability of flexible InSb thin films by dopant-assisted crystallization

Characterization of flexible dilute nitride InSbN thin films and exploratory study for epidermal optoelectronics

Flexible devices have recently been actively investigated for various purposes. Sb-based materials particularly attractive for medical applications. We grew InSb and dilute nitride InSbN thin films on polyimide (PI) films and on quartz substrates by reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering. By comparing the properties of thin films grown on PI films with those on quartz substrates, we revealed that InSb/PI contains large amount of native defects which originate from Sb clusters and Sb vacancies (VSb). Although the properties of the thin films grown on quartz substrates did not improve by nitridation, dilute nitride InSbN/PI showed superior properties to InSb/PI. These changes in thin film properties suggest that nitridation generates the substitution of VSb for N and the suppression of native defect formation. Consequently, dilute nitride InSbN/PI is potentially useful in electronic device applications. Furthermore, we evaluated the skin absorption of dilute nitride InSbN/PI. As a result, both In and Sb hardly permeated and were retained inside the skin. We conclude that the flexible dilute nitride InSbN/PI can be applied to epidermal optoelectronics.

Influence of the annealing time on the structural properties for Flash evaporated InSb films

Indium Antimonide (InSb) thin films were grown onto well cleaned glass substrates at substrate temperatures (473 K) by flash evaporation. X-ray diffraction studies confirm the polycrystalline of the films and the films show preferential orientation along the (111) plane .The particle size increases with the increase of annealing time .The transmission spectra of prepared samples were found to be in the range (400-5000 cm-1 ) from FTIR study . This indicates that the crystallinity is improved in the films deposited at higher annealing time.

Investigation of electrodeposition kinetics of In, Sb, and Zn for advanced designing of InSb and ZnSb thin films

In this work, the kinetics of indium, antimony, and zinc electrodepositions were investigated by using a gold rotating disc electrode (RDE). The performed studies shed light on the influence of electrodeposition parameters (i.e., working electrode potential and hydrodynamic conditions) on the chemical composition of In-Sb and Zn-Sb films. Stoichiometric InSb and ZnSb are one of the most promising thermoelectric materials, therefore a strictly controlled chemical composition of deposits is required. During electrochemical studies, as a primary electrolyte, a citrate bath with the addition of metal ion precursors, i.e., 0.06 M InCl 3 and/or 0.045 M SbCl 3 and/or 0.045 M ZnCl 2 , was applied. Based on the linear voltammetry measurements in the RDE system, the Koutecký-Levich analyses were performed. The diffusion coefficients ( D ) determined at 293 K for indium, antimony, and zinc ions equal to 1.45 × 10 −6 , 3.76 × 10 −6 , and 5.94 × 10 −6 cm 2 s −1 , respectively. The activation energy ( E A ) for the diffusion of metal ions was determined using D values calculated at different temperatures. E A of indium, antimony, and zinc ions equals to 25.1, 9.2, and 10.6 kJ mol −1 , respectively. The number of transferred electrons ( n ) and rate constant for heterogeneous reactions ( k ) occurring in the studied electrolytes at different potentials were also determined. • Electrodeposition of In, Sb, and Zn is under diffusion and kinetics control. • Diffusion coefficient of ion increase in line: In-citrate<Sb-citrate<Zn-citrate. • Adsorption of citrate ions on the RDE surface slows down electroreduction of In. • Indium-citrate ions have the highest E A of diffusion among studied species.

New spin-resolved thermal radiation laws for nonreciprocal bianisotropic media

A chiral absorber of light can emit spin-polarized (circularly polarized) thermal radiation based on Kirchhoff’s law which equates spin-resolved emissivity with spin-resolved absorptivity for reciprocal media at thermal equilibrium. No such law is known for nonreciprocal media. In this work, we discover three spin-resolved Kirchhoff’s laws of thermal radiation applicable for both reciprocal and nonreciprocal planar media. In particular, these laws are applicable to multi-layered or composite slabs of generic bianisotropic material classes which include (uniaxial or biaxial) birefringent crystals, (gyrotropic) Weyl semimetals, magnetized semiconductors, plasmas, ferromagnets and ferrites, (magnetoelectric) topological insulators, metamaterials and multiferroic media. We also propose an experiment to verify these laws using a single system of doped indium antimonide (InSb) thin film in an external magnetic field. Furthermore, we reveal a surprising result that the planar slabs of all these material classes can emit partially circularly polarized thermal light without requiring any surface patterning, and identify planar configurations which can experience nontrivial thermal optomechanical forces and torques upon thermal emission into the external environment at lower temperature (nonequilibrium). Our work also provides a new fundamental insight of detailed balance of angular momentum (in addition to energy) of equilibrium thermal radiation, and paves the way for practical functionalities based on thermal radiation using nonreciprocal bianisotropic materials.

Growth of high quality InSb thin films on GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy method with AlInSb/GaSb as compound buffer layers* *Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61774130, 11474248, 61790581, and 51973070), the Ph. D. Program Foundation of the Ministry of Education of China (Grant No. 20105303120002), and the National Key Technology Research and

A series of InSb thin films were grown on GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). GaSb/AlInSb is used as a compound buffer layer to release the strain caused by the lattice mismatch between the substrate and the epitaxial layer, so as to reduce the system defects. At the same time, the influence of different interface structures of AlInSb on the surface morphology of buffer layer is explored. The propagation mechanism of defects with the growth of buffer layer is compared and analyzed. The relationship between the quality of InSb thin films and the structure of buffer layer is summarized. Finally, the growth of high quality InSb thin films is realized.

Optimization of synthesis conditions of thin Te-doped InSb films and first principles studies of their physicochemical properties

The main objective of our study was to develop an electrochemical synthesis method for obtaining Te-doped InSb thin films. The electrodeposition was performed using a pulse mode in a citrate bath containing 0.06 M InCl3, 0.045 M SbCl3 and 0–0.008 M TeO2. Firstly, the optimization of following parameters was carried out: the potential of pulse “off” (Eoff), duration of pulse “off” (toff), and the ratio of time “on” to time “off” (ton/toff). We have confirmed that appropriate selection of electrodeposition conditions allows obtaining a material with a controllable morphology and chemical composition. Based on performed studies, optimal parameters for electrodeposition of thin Te-doped InSb films were selected. In the next stage, the pulse electrodeposition of Te-doped InSb films at previously optimized conditions was conducted from a solution containing different concentrations of the TeO2 precursor. It was demonstrated that adjustment of the TeO2 content in the citrate bath allows controlling the dopant concentration in thin Te-doped InSb films. Such a controllable synthesis creates the opportunity for tuning physicochemical properties of the material. The effect of doping on the crystal structure, phase composition, surface roughness, and optical band gap of thin Te-doped InSb films was discussed in detail.

Toward the Development of an InSb-Based Neutron-Resistant Hall Sensor

We describe a study concerning two irradiation series of InSb thin films in the form of Hall structures, using the natural neutron spectrum of a thermal-type fission reactor. We used mono- and polycrystalline InSb thin films with various levels of donor doping. The range of electron concentration values of the samples (from $10^{{16}}$ to $10^{{18}}$ cm $^{{-3}}$ ) allowed us to study the impact of predominant thermal neutrons on various InSb structures. Preirradiation long-term annealing of the samples at high temperatures ensured the thermal stabilization of the electrical parameters and made it possible to assess only defects introduced by neutrons in postirradiation heat treatments, without the influence of postevaporation defects. Neutron fluences of $8.7\times 10^{ {17}}$ cm $^{ {-2}}$ and $1.2\times 10^{ {18}}$ cm $^{ {-2}}$ were applied sequentially, and the total fluence was above $2\times 10^{ {18}}$ cm $^{ {-2}}$ . Annealing at high temperatures was performed after each irradiation process to estimate the quantity of donors created and to remove defects arising in the InSb structure. The results demonstrate the possibility of application of the InSb thin film in neutron-resistant Hall sensor (NRHS) for modern technological settings: fusion and fission reactors, particle accelerators, cosmic, and other scientific research.

Physicochemical and biocompatibility analyses of surface-coated IN0.57SB0.43 thin films under aqueous conditions

InSb-based devices embedded in the human body can be utilized for biological applications, including the detection of biomagnetic fields owing to the high electron mobility of InSb, which is a suitable magnetic resistance element. In this study, the aqueous stability of In[Formula: see text]Sb[Formula: see text]/quartz prepared by RF magnetron sputtering was evaluated as the initial stage for use in biomedical devices. In[Formula: see text]Sb[Formula: see text]/quartz was coated with (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPT), as InSb was not stable under aqueous conditions. MPT coating did not affect the thin-film properties (such as surface morphology, crystal structure, and electrical properties) of In[Formula: see text]Sb[Formula: see text]/quartz. A cell viability assay confirmed the lower cytotoxicity of MPT-coated In[Formula: see text]Sb[Formula: see text]/quartz than that of bare In[Formula: see text]Sb[Formula: see text]/quartz because the MPT coating reduces the elution of indium from In[Formula: see text]Sb[Formula: see text]/quartz. In addition, the MPT coating essentially suppressed the deterioration of the thin-film properties under simulated physiological conditions. Therefore, MPT-coated InSb thin films are expected for use in temporary implanted biomedical devices.

Investigation of the Optical Properties of InSb Thin Films Grown on GaAs by Temperature-Dependent Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

InSb thin films were grown on GaAs substrates by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and investigated by temperature-dependent spectroscopic ellipsometry (TD-SE). The refractive index, extinction coefficient, and dielectric function of the InSb films were extracted. The variation of critical point energies (E1, E1+Δ1, E2, $$ {E}_1^{\hbox{'}} $$ ) related to the excited state transitions of InSb and the second energy derivatives of the dielectric function at different temperatures showed that the InSb thin film had high electrical and optical stability at the evaluated temperatures. TD-SE analysis revealed a temperature range suitable for the use of InSb/GaAs-based devices. Beyond 250°C, InSb was heavily oxidized to form a thin In-O layer, causing a pronounced change in the optical constants. The results indicated that optimized InSb thin films grown on GaAs by MOCVD possess good optical and structural properties.

High mobility sputtered InSb film by blue laser diode annealing

InSb thin film was deposited on glass by r.f. sputtering using the InSb (atomic ratio of 1:1) target. The film was capped by SiO2 film to prevent the effusion of Sb of low melting point. After that, blue laser beam at 445 nm of controlled power density was irradiated using CW scanning mode. The film was crystalized successfully with keeping the ratio of In and Sb as (1:1). High electron Hall mobility of 1,050 cm2/(Vs) was obtained without degrading under glass. New device applications such as magnetic or infrared sensor system with poly Si TFTs are expected not only on glass but also on flexible panel such as on plastic sheet.

Electrochemical behavior of InSb thin films with different crystal structure in alkaline solution

Indium antimonide is a semiconducting material with a wide range of potential applications which narrows down when a highly oxidative surface of InSb is considered. Particularly advantageous is the use of InSb in the form of nanowires. One of the most affordable methods used for their synthesis is a template-assisted electrodeposition within the pores of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO). After electrodeposition of nanowires, the AAO template is typically dissolved in a NaOH solution. The possible and undesirable dissolution of InSb nanowires can weaken electrical transport properties of nanowires. Therefore, it is essential to study corrosion behavior of InSb, which can depend on the semiconductor structure and composition. To achieve this goal, we investigated the effect of crystal size and morphology of pulse electrodeposited indium antimonide thin films on their corrosion behavior in a 0.5 M NaOH aqueous solution. Furthermore, to collect a complete set of data and to explain sometimes complicated electrochemical behavior of semiconducting films, corrosion experiments on metallic films consisting of indium or antimony were also performed. The results were compared with the electrochemical behavior of the single components - indium and antimony which were used as a reference. The open circuit potential, cyclic polarization curves, and Tafel plots were recorded in order to characterize electrochemical properties of thin films such as corrosion potential, corrosion current density, corrosion rate. The obtained results indicate that thin films composed of the single metallic component are less resistant to the corrosion than indium antimonide. Moreover, the corrosion resistance of InSb thin films depends on the crystal size of InSb which can be tuned by the duration of pulse “on”.