Effect of Oxygen on the Temperature Dependence of Electrical Properties of Reactively Sputtered Tantalum Films

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Abstract
The negative temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) displayed by β-Ta, which has thus far not been satisfactorily explained, has been examined by measuring the variation of electrical resistivity with temperature, from ~ 20–300 °K, and by measuring the Hall coefficients, at room temperature and at 77 °K, of films containing up to ~ 60 at.% oxygen. The Hall measurements indicate carrier concentrations of ~ 1022 cm−3 and mobilities of ~ 1 cm2/Vs. The analysis of the results has considered the granular structure of the films and has subsequently compared these results with an 'activated tunneling' model of conduction. Theoretical calculations which assume the film to be comprised of cubic grains separated by Ta2O5 agree well with the experimental measurements.Metallic conduction still appears to be contributing to the film properties even at the highest oxygen concentrations of the present investigation.

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