Chemical etch studies of Ag/n-Si metal-semiconductor composite films

The 2.5-μm-thick Ag/n-Si composite films were prepared by magnetron co-sputtering Ag and n-type Silicon targets on Si(111) substrates that were held at 400 °C during deposition. They were then treated with chemical etchants to remove the film of segregated Ag particles in the surface layer. This process was required in order to measure the electronic transport properties of the unsegregated portion of the film for use in photoelectronic applications. Surface resistivity measurements in conjunction with chemical etch treatments were used to characterize the progress of the etch treatments. Small resistivity changes between successive etches indicated that the segregated Ag layer had been successfully removed. Hall measurements were made on films before and after the complete removal of this layer.