Degradation of thin tellurium films

Abstract

Changes in electrical resistance, light transmission, and mass were used to monitor the in-situ degradation rate of thin Te films in room air and in an accelerated temperature-humidity environment. The degradation resistance of Te films was found to depend strongly on the film deposition rate, film thickness, and the presence of a surface oxide layer. It was shown that, in addition to oxidation, weight loss through the formation of some unidentified volatile products also contributed to the degradation of thin Te films. The effects of deposition rate and film thickness were attributed to their influence on the film microstructure.