Interplay of electron correlations and localization in disordered β-tantalum films: Evidence from dc transport and spectroscopic ellipsometry study
- Institute of Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Na Slovance 2, 18221 Prague (Czech Republic)
- Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky prospect 53, 119991 Moscow (Russian Federation)
We report the dc transport (5 K ≲ T ≲ 380 K) and spectroscopic ellipsometry (0.8 eV ≤ hν ≤ 8.5 eV, T ≃ 300 K) study of β-Ta films prepared by rf sputtering deposition as a function of their thickness in the range 2.5 nm ≲ d ≲ 200 nm. The dc transport of the β-Ta films with a thickness d ≳ 25 nm is characterized by negative temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) caused by localization effects peculiar of highly disordered metals. Their dielectric function spectra display non-metallic-like behavior due to the presence of the pronounced band at 2 eV. We found that with increasing TCR absolute value, specifying elevated degree disorder, the optical spectral weight (SW) of free charge carriers decreases. The associated SW is recovered in the range of Mott-Hubbard transitions, indicating the mechanism of localization enhancement by electronic correlations in disordered metals.
- OSTI ID:
- 22420247
- Journal Information:
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 106, Issue 5; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CHARGE CARRIERS
DEPOSITION
ELECTRON CORRELATION
ELLIPSOMETRY
EV RANGE 01-10
FILMS
SPUTTERING
TANTALUM
TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0000-0013 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0013-0065 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0065-0273 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K