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 x 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.