Compositional effects on the optical properties of Ge <inf>x</inf> Sb <inf>40-x</inf> Se <inf>60</inf> thin films

Abstract

Ge x Sb 40-x Se 60 (x = 0, 2.42 and 23.41 at.%) thin chalcogenide films were deposited on glass and quartz substrates by the conventional thermal evaporation technique at 300 K. The chemical composition of the bulk material and as-deposited films were determined by energy dispersive analysis X-ray spectrometry (EDAX). X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD) of Ge x Sb 40-x Se 60 (x = 0, 2.42 and 23.41 at.%) thin films indicates that they have amorphous structure. The optical transmission and reflection spectra were measured in the range of 500 to 2500 nm. The optical absorption coefficient spectra were studied for deposited samples. It is observed that the optical absorption edge shift to higher energy range, as the germanium content, x, increases in the film. The type of electronic transition, responsible for the optical properties, is indirect allowed transition. It is found that the optical band gap increases as the Ge content increases. The average coordination number (N c) in Ge x Sb 40-x Se 60 films increases, but the number of chalcogenide atoms remains constant. The number of Ge - Se bonds and the average bond energy of the system increase with the increase of the average coordination number. The optical band gap, E g, increases with the increase of the average coordination number, (N c). Also the energy gap, E 04, is discussed in terms of its relation to the chemical composition. The dispersion of the refractive index (n) is discussed in terms of the Single Oscillator Model (SOM) (Wimple - Didomenico model). The single oscillator energy (E 0), the dispersion energy (E d) and the optical dielectric constant (ε ∞) are also estimated. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.