Deposition of thin Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 films by pulsed laser ablation

Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 films were obtained by pulsed laser ablation. The films were deposited in vacuum (1 × 10−5 Torr) on single crystal substrates of Al2O3 (0001), BaF2 (111), and fresh cleavages of KCl or NaCl (001) heated to 453–523 K. The films were 10–1500 nm thick. The structures of the bulk material of targets and films were studied by X-ray diffractometry and transmission high-energy electron diffraction, respectively. Electrical properties of the films were measured in the temperature range of 77–300 K. It is shown that the films possess semiconductor properties. Several activation portions are observed in the temperature dependences of resistivity; the energies of activation portions depend on the film thickness and crystallite size.