Effect of Native Defects on Transport Properties in Non-Stoichiometric CoSb₃.

The effect of native defects originated by a non-stoichiometric variation of composition in CoSb₃ on I-V curves and Hall effect was investigated. Hysteretic and a non-linear behavior of the  I-V curves at cryogenic temperatures were observed; the non-linear behavior originated from the Poole-Frenkel effect, a field-dependent ionization mechanism that lowers Coulomb barriers and increases emission of charge carriers, and the hysteresis was attributed to the drastic decrease of specific heat which produces Joule heating at cryogenic temperatures. CoSb₃ is a narrow gap semiconductor and slight variation in the synthesis process can lead to either - or -type conduction.