Impact of thickness on microscopic and macroscopic properties of Fe-Te-Se superconductor thin films

A series of iron based Fe-Te-Se superconductor thin films depositing on 0.7wt% Nb-doped SrTiO3 at substrate temperatures in the 250°C -450°C range by pulsed laser ablation of a constituents well defined precursor FeTe0.55Se0.55 target sample. We study the possible growth mechanism and its influence on the superconductor properties. Experimental results indicate the superconductive and non-superconductive properties are modulated only by the thickness of the thin films through the temperature range. The films appear as superconductor whenever the thickness is above a critical value ∼30nm and comes to be non-superconductor below this value. Relative ratios of Fe to (Te+Se) in the films retained Fe/(Te+Se)<1 for superconductor and Fe/(Te+Se)>1 for non-superconductor no matter what the film growth temperature was. The effect of film growth temperature takes only the role of modulating the ratio of Te/Se and improving crystallinity of the systems. According to the experimental results we propose a sandglass film growth mechanism in which the interfacial effect evokes to form a Fe rich area at the interface and Se or Te starts off a consecutive filling up process of chalcogenide elements defect sides, the process is significant before the film thickness reaches at ∼30nm.