TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE THE MAGNETORESISTANCE SENSITIVITY OF InSb THIN FILMS

Abstract

Thin films of indium antimonide (InSb) were deposited onto a well cleaned glass substrate by vacuum evaporation technique using InSb compound as a source material. The galvanomagnetic properties such as Hall voltage, Hall mobility and magnetoresistance sensitivity of the prepared films were investigated in terms of annealing temperature. All the measurements were taken at room temperature under the magnetic field from 0.1 T to 1.0 T. It is observed that the magnetoresistance sensitivity increases with the decrease of length to width ratio of the specimen. The magnetoresistance sensitivity of 85% was obtained for the film with the length to width ratio of 0.8, annealed at a temperature of 470oC for 60 min. For further improvement of the sensitivity of the film, indium (In) short-bar electrodes were deposited on InSb film and a maximum sensitivity of 105% was successfully achieved for the length to width ratio of 0.2 and magnetic field of 1.0 T.