Adjustable metal-semiconductor transition of FeS thin films by thermal annealing

Abstract

FeS polycrystalline thin films were prepared on float glass at 500 °C by radio-frequency reactive sputtering. The influence of vacuum annealing on the metal-semiconductor transition of FeS films was investigated. It has been found that with the increase of the annealing temperature from 360 to 600 °C, the metal-semiconductor transition temperature of FeS films first decreases and then increases, associated with first a reduction and then an enhancement of hysteresis width. The thermal stress is considered to give rise to the abnormal change of the metal-semiconductor transition of the FeS film during annealing. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.