Annealing Effect on Chemical Structure and Physical Properties of Plasma-Polymerized Triethylindium

Annealing effect on chemical structure and physical properties of thin films, prepared by r. f. glow discharge of triethylindium (TEI), was investigated. The film, as deposited, contained mostly hydrocarbon, and the appearance was dark brown and opaque. The structure of the film was amorphous. On annealing in air, hydrocarbon contents in the film decreased, oxygen contents increased, and the crystallization progressed. The appearance of the film changed from opaque to transparent, and the electrical conductivity increased by annealing. The conductivity of the film after annealing, which was determined by a hot probe method, was of n-type, and the activation energy was calculated to be about 0.07 eV from the temperature dependence of the conductivity.