A study from electrical conductivity data of the defect concentration in as-grown indium thin films vacuum deposited at different deposition rates

Indium thin films of thicknesses 625±25 and 500±25 Å were prepared by vacuum deposition at various controlled rates and at a pressure of 2 × 10-5 Torr onto clean glass substrates held at room temperature. The films were subjected to an in situ heating-cooling cycle immediately after formation and their electrical conductivities were measured continuously during the heat treatment. Using Vand's theory the changes in electrical conductivity during the heat treatment were correlated with the changes in defect concentration in the films. From the resistance-temperature data, initial lattice distortion energy spectra of the films were determined and were plotted for different deposition rates. It was found from these plots that the defect density decreases with increasing deposition rate. © 1981.