Effect of annealing, film thickness and deposition rate on dc conductivity of co-evaporated Cu-GeO₂ thin cermet films

836-841dc Conductivity measurements were carried out using van der Pauw four probe technique for 20 vol%Cu films in the temperature range 200-573 K. Increase in conductivity during temperature cycling of as-deposited films was observed and explained as the removal of defects. Annealing and preparing the film at elevated substrate temperature make the dc conductivity reversible on temperature cycling; the latter has an enhanced dc conductivity. The variation of dc conductivity with thickness was consistent with the Neugebauer-Webb model whereas deposition rate variation was explained on the basis of the concept of localized states in the band gap