Crystallization behavior of CoSb3 and (Co,Fe)Sb3 thin films
Abstract The crystallization behavior of CoSb 3 and Fe-doped (Co,Fe)Sb 3 thin films prepared by d.c.-magnetron sputtering was studied via ex situ and in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The as-deposited layers are amorphous. Crystallization takes place at temperatures of approximately 160±16 °C. Decomposition occurs in the temperature ranges of 575–610 °C for CoSb 3 and of 640–670 °C for (Co,Fe)Sb 3 . The decomposition products are CoSb and (Co,Fe)Sb, respectively. Both ex situ XRD measurements on annealed layers and in situ measurements on as-deposited samples show a rare dependence of the cubic lattice parameter of the skutterudite type structure on the temperature. Electron probe microanalysis investigations indicate that the composition varies from Co–Sb 1:4 at low temperatures to Co–Sb 1:3 after heating cycles.