A study of the resistivity and the thermoelectric power of thin films of Sb and Bi

The electrical resistivity and thermoelectric power are measured as a function of the film thickness on vacuum deposited antimony and bismuth films. The experimental results are in good agreement with the approximate form of the size effect theory of Fuchs‐Sondheimer. There is some indication of oscillation in the resistivity data of bismuth films in the range of small thicknesses (20 to 70 nm), which may be related to the quantum size effect. However, no such oscillation is observed in antimony films. The resistivity and the thermoelectric power approach the values close to those of well‐ordered bulk antimony and bismuth when extrapolated to infinite thickness. The thin films are used for the detection of short laser pulses. Pulses from a Q‐switched Nd‐glass laser are detected. A rise time (i.e. from 10 to 90%) of about 10 ns and a decay time (i.e. 90 to 10%) of about 60 ns is measured.