Transport properties of sputtered molybdenum silicide thin films as a function of grain size

Molybdenum disilicide films have been sputtered onto sapphire and silicon substrates with a wide range of grain sizes achieved by postdeposition vacuum anneals at temperatures ranging between 200 and 1000 °C. Grain size of each film is determined by measurement of the breadth of observed x‐ray diffraction peaks. Electrical resistivity as a function of temperature and room‐temperature Hall effect has been measured for each film. Transport properties are related to grain size using scattering models developed for polycrystalline metals. A close fit to theory is obtained.