The differences between the electrical conductivity of thermal and anodic oxides of InSb have been reported previously. In this paper these differences are correlated with the chemical compositional profiles of the two oxides. The anodic oxide is shown to be an indium oxide containing a large concentration of Sb, while the thermal oxide contains a relatively low concentration of Sb, but has an Sb-rich layer between the indium oxide and the InSb. By postformation annealing of the anodic oxide or application of a large electric field to the thermal oxide, the oxide compositions are changed. These changes are accompanied by a corresponding change in the electrical conductivity of the oxide. From these data and the changes in the Auger line shape for In, it appears that Sb–In bonding in the oxide is related to the change of conductivity.
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C. W. Wilmsen (1976) studied this question.