Crystallization and Transport Properties of Amorphous Cr-Si Thin Film Thermoelectrics

We studied the thermoelectric properties, crystallization, and stability of amorphous and nanocrystalline states in Cr-Si composite films. Amorphous films, prepared by magnetron sputtering, were transformed into the nanocrystalline state by annealing with in situ thermopower and electrical resistivity measurements. We have found that the amorphous state is stable in these film composites to about 550 K. Prior to crystallization, the amorphous films undergo a structural relaxation, detected by peculiarities in the temperature dependences of the transport properties, but not visible in x-ray or electron diffraction. The magnitude and temperature dependences of electrical conductivity and thermopower indicate that electron transport in the amorphous films is through extended states. The amorphous films are crystallized at annealing temperatures above 550 K into a nanocrystalline composite with an average grain size of 10-20 nm.