Thermal stability of semiconducting thin germanium/carbon alloy films produced from tetraethylgermanium in an RF glow discharge

Thermal stability of thin Ge/C films, deposited using organometallic vapour deposition from tetraethylgermanium in radio frequency glow discharge, has been studied by means of thermogravimetry. Measurements were taken within a temperature range of 25-800 degrees C. The first thermogravimetric run re vealed a weight loss of these materials amounting to approximately 25%, whi le in the second run this loss did not exceed 1.5%. This stabilization of t he films under thermal annealing conditions, together with the advantageous temperature coefficients of their DC conductivity make them potential cand idates for thermistor materials. Two different routes of fabrication of the rmally stable films for thermistor application have been proposed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.