Electrical properties of microcrystalline Sc3N80 fullerene

The electrical properties of microcrystalline Sc3N80 fullerene with fcc structure are studied by measuring both d.c. conductivity temperature dependence and a.c. impedance. Below 450 K the Sc3N80 sample has an energy band gap of 1.71 eV, which does not depend on the strength of the applied electric field. But when the temperature is above 450 K, a phase transition which results in a small band gap of 1.22 eV occurs under electric field strengths larger than 1 kV/cm. We also found from ColeaCole plots of a.c. impedance that the contact resistance at the Au/Sc3N80 interface is less than that at the Au/C60 interface.