Low-resistivity oxides in TixFeCoNi thin films after vacuum annealing

ABSTRACTIn this study, we investigated the electrical properties and microstructures of FeCoNi, Ti0.5FeCoNi, and TiFeCoNi thin films, with the aim of identifying new oxygen-deficient oxides with low resistivity. The resistivity values of as-deposited FeCoNi, Ti0.5FeCoNi, and TiFeCoNi films were 1089, 2883, and 5708 μΩ-cm, respectively. After vacuum annealing at 1000°C for 30 min, the resistivity values plummeted to 20.4, 32.1, and 45.4 μΩ-cm, respectively. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis revealed that all of the as-annealed films were in the form of an oxygen-deficient oxide/metal composite with layered structure. The resistivity of these oxides is lower than that of indium tin oxide (ITO). They represent a new category of low-resistivity oxides.