Switching phenomena in amorphous thin films of Ge,Cd x Te y and Sb x Se y

The threshold and memory switching effects in amorphous thin films of Ge, Cd _x Te _y and Sb _x Se _y , prepared by cathodic sputtering and vacuum evaporation are investigated. The switching is dependent on the polarity and the material of the contacts. The memory effect is typical for Ge and Cd _x Te _y films whilst the threshold effect sustaining a repeating frequency of about 0·1 Hz was found with Sb _x Se _y , films. The proper switching time was 0·2–0·4 s for the samples under consideration. A considerable variance of the critical intensity of the electric field when the switching set in was observed, as well as a variance of its dependence on the temperature and the surface properties of the substrate. With Ge samples the switching depended on the total amount of energy accumulated in them. A simple model is proposed on the ground of the achieved results assuming electronic processes in the first phase of the duration of the switching (i.e. injection from electrodes into the amorphous film) and bulk thermal processes leading to the creatin of a conduction channel in the second phase.     

Role of Bi incorporation on glass transition kinetics in glassy Se78Te20Sn2 alloy

In this communication, we report the results of calorimetric measurements on the samples of recently synthesized multi-component glassy alloys of Se_78?xTe₂₀Sn₂Bi_x (0 ≤ x ≤ 6) system. For calorimetric study of glass transition kinetics, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique has been used in non-isothermal mode. Peak glass transition temperature (T_g) is determined using the DSC scans. Kinetic parameters A and B of glass transition are determined using heating rate dependence of T_g. Activation energy of glass transition (E_g) has been calculated using Moynihan and Kissinger methods. Glass-forming ability and thermal stability are also determined using Hurby and Saad–Poulin relations, respectively.     

Thermal characterization of Se78Ge22 and Se68Ge22M10 (M=Cd,In, Pb) chalcogenide glasses

The paper reports studies on the glass transition kinetics of Se₇₈Ge₂₂ and Se₆₈Ge₂₂M₁₀ (M?=?Cd, In, Pb) chalcogenide glasses. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was performed at different heating rates under non-isothermal conditions. Different kinetic parameters, such as glass transition temperature (T _g) and the activation energy of the glass transition (E _t) have been calculated to investigate the effects of Cd, In and Pb additives on the glass transition kinetics of glassy Se₇₈Ge₂₂ alloy.     

Amorphous-to-crystalline transition in Ge22Se78−x Bi x system

Summary Crystallization kinetics is studied in glassy Ge₂₂Se_78−x Bi _x (0≤x≤10) using isothermal annealing at various temperatures between the glass transition and melting. D.c. conductivity is taken as a parameter to estimate the extent of crystallization (α). The activation energy of crystallization (ΔE) and the order parameter (n) are calculated by fitting the values of α in Avrami’s equations of isothermal transformation. The results indicate that ΔE is highly composition dependent and decreases as the Bi concentration increases.     

Crystallization behaviour of Ge17Sb23Se60 thin films

The crystallization behaviour of as-prepared and nucleated Ge₁₇Sb₂₃Se₆₀ thin films was studied by means of differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy. Detailed analysis of the non-isothermal crystal growth kinetics was performed; the apparent activation energy, kinetic model and value of the pre-exponential factor were determined. The kinetic behaviour was found to be surprisingly close to the ideal Johnson–Mehl–Avrami nucleation-growth process, with the only non-ideality being the prolonged peak end tail (which may be a specificity associated with certain thicknesses of thin layers). This corresponds to the initiation of crystal growth in agreement with the classical nucleation theory, with the amount of mechanical defects and strains being negligible. The value of the kinetic parameter suggests two-dimensional crystal growth, which is consistent with the idea of macroscopic crystallites growing in a sterically restricted thin layer. A similar conclusion can be made on the basis of direct microscopic observation of the crystallites’ morphology.     

EXAFS study of local order in the amorphous chalcogenide semiconductor Ge2Sb2Te5

Studies of amorphous (a-) semiconductors have been driven by technological advances as well as fundamental theories. Observation of electrical switching, for example, fueled early interest in a-chalcogenides. More recently switching of the a-chalcogenide Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ has been applied quite successfully to DVD technology where the quest for the discovery of better-suited materials continues. Thus, switching provides researchers today with an active arena of technological as well as fundamental study. On the theoretical front, bond constraint theory — or BCT — provides a powerful framework for understanding the structure and properties of a-materials. Applications of BCT to switching in Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ holds the promise of finding the best composition suited for switching applications. This work presents EXAFS data that describe local bonding configurations in as-deposited Ge₂Sb₂Te₅. The data show that Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ may best be viewed as a random array of Ge₂Te₃ and Sb₂Te₃ structural units imbedded in a tissue of a-Te, 17% of which is over coordinated. In addition, a valence alternation pair defect is introduced to the model to satisfy charge conservation constraints.     

Laser induced crystallization of as-deposited amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5 films

Crystallization is induced by pulsed laser irradiation of s-deposited amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5 films. Changes of the irradiated areas have been analyzed with the reflectivity contrast. As laser fluences increasing,the reflectivity contrast increases from 0% - 2% to 14% - 16%, which indicates the structure of as deposited films transforms from amorphous to crystalline phases. The process of crystallization driven by the movement and rearrangement of atoms is described. And also the influence of the pulse duration on the threshold of crystallization is discussed, the results show that a lower threshold of crystallization can be produced for as-deposited films irradiated by the laser with short pulse duration. However, by the laser with long pulse duration, crystallization can only be formed with a higher threshold. The crystallization of films by irradiation of laser pulses is studied by Raman spectra.     

Thermal annealing dependence of the optical and electrical properties of amorphous Se79Te15Sb6 thin films

Glassy substrates Se₇₉Te₁₅Sb₆ thin films are thermally evaporated onto chemically cleaned glass. Optical absorption measurements are carried out on as-deposited and thermal annealed Se₇₉Te₁₅Sb₆ films. It is found that the mechanism of the optical absorption follows the rule of non-direct transition. The annealed Se₇₉Te₁₅Sb₆ films show an increase in the optical energy gap with increasing temperature of annealing higher than the glass transition temperature (363 K). The electrical conductivity of the as-deposited and annealed films is found to be of Arrhenius type with temperature in the range 300–360 K. The effect of thermal annealing on the activation energy for conduction is also studied. The results are discussed on the basis of amorphous–crystalline transformations. PACS 61.40; 61.40.D; 64.70.D; 72.80.N; 78.65.M     

Photocrystallization in amorphous thin films of Se70Te30−xCdx

Summary The present paper reports a study of photocrystallization in a-Se₇₀Te_30−xCd_x films (0≤x≤4). The photocrystallization is achieved by shining white light at room temperature for different exposure times. The results indicate that the photocrystallization is suppressed on addition of Cd in binary Se₇₀Te₃₀ system. This is explained in terms of the structure of Se-Te-Cd system. Work supported by University Grants Commission. The authors of this paper have agreed to not receive the proofs for correction.     

Crystallization mechanism in Sb:Te thin films

The aim of this work is to study the mechanism of crystallization in Sb:Te thin films using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), four-probe resistivity and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements.The DSC showed that the Sb_70+xTe_30−x films with x in the range of −3⩽x⩽3 show one exothermic reaction at 110 °C, whereas the films with x in the range of 3⩽x⩽13 present an additional one at about 70 °C. XRD measurements and Rietveld analysis have shown that the first exothermal peak can be associated to the formation of crystalline Sb and the second to the process of transformation of the Sb and the remaining material into a more stable Sb_2nTe₃ crystalline phase. Appearance of additional Sb phase decreases the crystallization temperature of Sb_70+xTe_30−x films.These structural transformations are also observed in the four-probe resistivity measurements: a one-step crystallization process in the Sb_70+xTe_30−x films with x in the range of −3⩽x⩽3and a two-steps crystallization process in films with x in the range of 3⩽x⩽13.The results of this investigation have shown that the amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation in eutectic Sb:Te depended on the films composition.     

相变存储材料Ge1Sb2Te4和Ge2Sb2Te5薄膜的结构和电学特性研究

采用射频磁控溅射方法制备了两种用于相变存储器的Ge₁Sb₂Te₄和Ge₂Sb₂Te₅相变薄膜材料,对其结构、电学输运性质和恒温下电阻随时间的变化关系进行了比较和分析.X射线衍射(XRD)和原子力显微镜(AFM)的结果表明:随着退火温度的升高,Ge₁Sb₂Te₄薄膜逐步晶化,由非晶态转变为多晶态,表面出现均匀的、 关键词： 硫系相变材料 1Sb₂Te₄')" href="#">Ge₁Sb₂Te₄ 2Sb₂Te₅')" href="#">Ge₂Sb₂Te₅     

Thermoelectric properties of Bi2Se3/Bi2Te3/Bi2Se3 and Sb2Te3/Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3 quantum well systems

In this work, we develop a theory of thermoelectric transport properties in two-dimensional semiconducting quantum well structures. Calculations are performed for n-type 0.1 wt.% CuBr-doped Bi₂Se₃/Bi₂Te₃/Bi₂Se₃ and p-type 3 wt.% Te-doped Sb₂Te₃/Bi₂Te₃/Sb₂Te₃ quantum well systems in the temperature range 50–600 K. It is found that reducing the well thickness has a pronounced effect on enhancing the thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT). For the n-type Bi₂Se₃/Bi₂Te₃/Bi₂Se₃ with 7 nm well width, the maximum value of ZT is estimated to be 0.97 at 350 K and for the p-type Sb₂Te₃/Bi₂Te₃/Sb₂Te₃ with well width 10 nm the highest value of the ZT is found to be 1.945 at 440 K. An explanation is provided for the resulting higher ZT value of the p-type system compared to the n-type system.     

Thickness-dependent electrical and optical properties of Ge8Sb2Te11 thin films

The amorphous Ge₈Sb₂Te₁₁thin films with varying thickness are thermally deposited on well-cleaned glass substrate from its polycrystalline bulk. Absence of any sharp peak confirms the amorphous nature of deposited films. Thickness-dependent electrical and optical properties including dc-activation energy, sheet resistivity, optical band gap, band tailing parameter, etc. of Ge₈Sb₂Te₁₁thin films have been studied. The optical parameters have been calculated from transmission, reflection and absorbance data in the spectral range of 200–1100 nm. It has been found that optical band gap and band tailing parameter decreases with the increase in Ge₈Sb₂Te₁₁thin films thickness. The dc-activation energy and sheet resistivity decreases while the crystallization temperature of the amorphous Ge₈Sb₂Te₁₁ films increases with the increase in thickness of the films. The decrease of the sheet resistivity has been substantiated quantitatively using the classical size-effect theory. These results have been explained on the basis of rearrangements of defects and disorders in the amorphous chalcogenide system.     

Photoconduction in amorphous thin films of Se90Sb10-xAgx glassy alloys

The present paper reports the steady state photoconductivity and photosensitivity response of thermally evaporated amorphous thin films of Se₉₀Sb_10-xAg_x(x = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10). Temperature dependence of dark conductivity is studied and activation energy is calculated for different samples. Temperature dependence of photoconductivity is also studied at different intensities. From temperature dependence of photoconductivity activation energy is computed at different intensities which are found to vary from 0.26 to 0.47 eV. Intensity dependence of photoconductivity has also been studied at different temperatures. These curves are plotted on logarithmic scale and found to be straight lines which show that photoconductivity follows a power law with intensity. Composition dependence of dark conductivity, activation energy of DC conduction and photosensitivity show that these parameters are highly. composition dependent and show a discontinuity at a particular composition when Ag concentration becomes 6 at. %. This is explained in terms of transition from floppy state to mechanically stabilized state at this composition.     

Effect of indium doping on Ge2Sb2Te5 thin films for phase-change optical storage

The influence of In doping on the crystallization kinetics of Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ has been investigated using four-point-probe electrical resistance measurements, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray reflectometry (XRR), variable incident angle spectroscopic ellipsometry, a static tester, and atomic force microscopy. For a stoichiometric Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ alloy doped with 3% In, the amorphous-to-crystalline transition is observed at 150 °C in the sheet resistance measurements. XRD reveals the formation of a predominant NaCl-type Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ phase during the amorphous-to-crystalline transition together with small amounts of crystalline In₂Te₃. Density values of 5.88±0.05 g cm^-3 and 6.22±0.05 g cm^-3 are measured by XRR for the film in the amorphous and crystalline states, respectively. Perfect erasure can be achieved by laser pulses longer than 165 ns. The retarded crystallization, as compared with the undoped Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ alloy, is attributed to the observed phase segregation. Sufficient optical contrast is exhibited and can be correlated with the large density change upon crystallization. PACS 68.55.-a; 78.20.-e; 78.66.Jg     

Composition dependence of photoconductivity in amorphous thin films of Se70Te30−xSbx

Summary The present paper reports the composition dependence of steady-state and transient photoconductivity in amorphous thin films of Se₇₀Te_30-xSb_x, wherex is varied from 0 to 10. The results indicate that photoconductivity is highly composition dependent in this system and a discontinuity in various electrical parameters is observed at 4 at. % of Sb. This is explained in terms of increased disorder up to 4 at. % of Sb. However, at higher concentration of Sb, an ordered structure may be established due to the formation of microcrystalline phases as observed in X-ray diffraction patterns.     

Electrical and optical properties of amorphous Te40As38Ge10Si12 thin films

Electrical, optical and structural, properties, of Te₄₀As₃₈Ge₁₀Si₁₀ thin films were studied. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that these films are in an amorphous state. The dark electrical resistivity of Te₄₀As₃₈Ge₁₀Si₁₂ films was measured at room temperature and at elevated temperature. The thermal activation energy E was determined. The optical constants (refractive index n and absorption index k) of such films were determined in the spectral range of 0.5–2.0 m. The absorption coefficient () of this system was also determined using the known equation =4k/. The refractive index n has anomalous behaviour near the absorption edge. Analysis of the absorption spectrum reveals indirect optical transitions. The corresponding forbidden-band width was determined. Its value is approximately twice the thermal activation energy.     

Characterisation of thin films obtained by laser ablation of Ge28Se60Sb12 glasses

Films of nominal composition Ge₂₈Se₆₀Sb₁₂ were deposited on microscope slides by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), using either bulk or powdered glassy targets and a Nd:YAG laser (λ=266 nm). The films with thickness comprised between 400 and 800 nm showed a smooth and dense morphology. They were homogeneous in composition all over the samples with a composition somewhat deficient in selenium compared to the nominal one: Ge_28.1±0.3Se_56.1±0.1Sb_15.8±0.2 and Ge_29.0±0.3Se_55.5±0.1Sb_15.5±0.2 for films obtained from powdered glassy targets and bulk targets, respectively. The optical characteristics of the films were extracted from the transmission spectra recorded between 250 and 2500 nm. In particular, the refractive index at 1.5 μm was found to be 2.75±0.03, close to that of the bulk glass, as expected for dense films. The decrease in the optical band gap and the increase in the Urbach absorption edge with the film thickness were attributed to an increase in disorder.