Characterization of filled skutterudite LaFe/sub 3/CoSb/sub 12/ thin films prepared by laser ablation

We have prepared filled skutterudite LaFe/sub 3/CoSb/sub 12/ thin films using pulsed laser deposition. Stoichiometric, single-phase LaFe/sub 3/CoSb/sub 12/ films are obtained by selecting deposition parameters. The films are composed of small polycrystalline grains typically in the 20 to 100 nm range. Temperature dependencies of the Seebeck coefficient and other electronic transport properties at room temperature were measured for several single-phase LaFe/sub 3/CoSb/sub 12/ films synthesized at different deposition conditions. Although the Seebeck coefficient increases as the temperature increases from 100 to 400 K for all samples, its value varies depending on film synthesis conditions. The films also have high carrier concentrations (/spl sim/ 10/sup 21/ cm/sup -3/) and small mobility (< 10 cm/sup 2//Vs). These results imply that microscopic film qualities controlled by synthesis conditions affect their electronic properties.