Method for forming evaporated pnictide and alkali metal polypnictide films

Abstract

Abstract A method and apparatus are provided for producing fine quality pnictide films by vacuum evaporation and molecular beam deposition. A pnictide source, preferably phosphorous, is heated to produce a continuous supply of vapor species, preferably P 4 . The vapor species is cracked by a heated tungsten wire positioned adjacent the pnictide source to produce P 2 molecules. A second tungsten wire cracker is located adjacent a substrate to prevent the recombination of P 2 molecules into P 4 molecules. The P 2 molecules are deposited on the substrate and condense into amorphous pure phosphorous shiny red films. A separate source of alkali metal intercalate, preferably KC 8 , may also be heated to provide an alkali metal vapor for producing films of alkali metal polypnictide films, preferably KP x where x is equal to or greater than 15, to be deposited on the substrate. Fine quality films may also be deposited on a substrate by a molecular beam apparatus providing a continuous source of pnictide vapor species and a cracker disposed between the exit of a pnictide collimator and the substrate.

Inventors

• 👤 David G. Brock
• 👤 John A. Baumann

Bibliographic Details