Production and Properties of Thin Layers of Indium Antimonide

A new method of producing thin layers of indium antimonide is described. This consists of suddenly squashing a drop of molten indium antimonide between two optical flats and allowing it to cool. Large area, self-supporting specimens of 10-μ thickness have been prepared in this way and their properties examined. Although these layers are polycrystalline, their electrical and optical properties are in good agreement with the single-crystal materials from which they were obtained.