Anisotropy of the hopping conductivity in TlGaSe2 single crystals

The temperature dependences of the conductivities parallel and perpendicular to the layers in layered TlGaSe₂ single crystals are investigated in the temperature range from 10 K to 293 K. It is shown that hopping conduction with a variable hopping length among localized states near the Fermi level takes place in TlGaSe₂ single crystals in the low-temperature range, both along and across the layers. Hopping conduction along the layers begins to prevail over conduction in an allowed band only at very low temperatures (10–30 K), whereas hopping conduction across the layers is observed at fairly high temperatures (T?210 K) and spans a broader temperature range. The density of states near the Fermi level is determined, N _F=1.3×10¹⁹eV·cm³)^?1, along with the energy scatter of these states J=0.011 eV and the hopping lengths at various temperatures. The hopping length R along the layers of TlGaSe₂ single crystals increases from 130 Å to 170 Å as the temperature is lowered from 30 K to 10 K. The temperature dependence of the degree of anisotropy of the conductivity of TlGaSe₂ single crystals is investigated.     

Electret states and the phase transition in a surface layer of the TlGaSe2 ferroelectric semiconductor

The electret polarization is investigated in the TlGaSe₂ ferroelectric semiconductor. It is proved for the first time that stable internal electric fields associated with residual electret polarization are induced in crystals of the TlGaSe₂ ferroelectric semiconductor at temperatures T < 200 K. It is experimentally established that the peak of the pyroelectric current measured in the vicinity of the phase transition to the ferroelectric polar phase depends substantially on the temperature at which the external electric field is switched off when the TlGaSe₂ ferroelectric crystal under investigation is preliminarily cooled from room temperature. The results obtained are discussed in the framework of a model according to which internal electret fields are induced by charges localized at different levels in the bulk and on the surface of the TlGaSe₂ ferroelectric crystal. These fields drastically change at temperatures in a narrow range near 135 K. The inference is made that a phase transition occurs in the surface layer of the TlGaSe₂ crystal at a temperature close to ～135 K.     

Features of the conductivity of the quasi-one-dimensional compound TiS3

The structure and transport properties of single crystal whiskers of the TiS₃ quasi-one-dimensional semiconductor have been investigated. The anisotropy of the conductivity in the plane of layers (ab) has been measured as a function of the temperature. The anisotropy at 300 K is 5 and increases with a decrease in the temperature. Features on the temperature dependences of the conductivity along and across the chains are observed at 59 and 17 K. Near the same temperatures the form of the current-voltage characteristics measured along the chains is qualitatively changed. The current-voltage characteristics below 60 K exhibit nonlinearity and have a threshold form below 10 K. The results indicate possible phase transitions and the collective conduction mechanism at low temperatures.     

Effect of external fields on the memory effect of the incommensurate phase in the ferroelectric-semiconductor TlGaSe<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The effect of external fields (dc electric field, light illumination) on the memory effect of the incommensurate phase in the ferroelectric-semiconductor TlGaSe₂ is studied using the measured dielectric constant. The results obtained are discussed. It is shown for the first time that the effect of external fields on the anomaly related to the memory effect in TlGaSe₂ can be reduced to the following universal empirical rule: when a sample is held for many hours at a constant temperature T ₀ in the temperature range of the incommensurate phase in a dc electric field, the deflection amplitude in the low-temperature part of the anomaly in the temperature dependence of the relative change in the dielectric constant Δ?/? increases (the deflection in the high-temperature part of the Δ?/? anomaly disappears) as compared to this segment in the dependence obtained during isothermal annealing of this sample at the same temperature without an electric field. The crystal remembers its thermal history at a temperature that is several kelvins higher than T ₀. Light illumination increases the deflection amplitude in the high-temperature part of the Δ?/?(T) anomaly and shifts the temperature at which the crystal remembers its thermal history toward lower temperatures with respect to T ₀.     

Time relaxation of dielectric constant in the commensurate phase of TlGaSe2

The results of measurements of the time dependences of the dielectric constant of TlGaSe₂ in the commensurate ferroelectric phase are presented. From the result of the observation of the decay of ε at different stabilized temperatures below the commensurate phase transition temperature after cooling from the incommensurate phase, the presence of two different characteristic relaxation time constants with the same temperature behaviour has been revealed. This peculiarity is considered as a result of a coexistence of two polar sublattices in the temperature range below 110 K. According to these results, the previously reported dielectric anomaly at about 103 K is considered as a final lock-in phase transition accompanied by the forming of the antiferroelectric state in TlGaSe₂.     

The Urbach tails and optical absorption in layered semiconductor TlGaSe<Subscript>2</Subscript> and TlGaS<Subscript>2</Subscript> single crystals

TlGaSe₂ and TlGaS₂ single crystals were grown by the modified Bridgman-Stockbarger method. We report the result of an experimental study of the optical absorption of TlGaSe₂ and TlGaS₂ crystals. The absorption measurements were performed in steps of 10 K. The direct and indirect band gaps for TlGaSe₂ and TlGaS₂ samples were calculated as a function of temperature. The phonon energies in TlGaSe₂ and TlGaS₂ crystals were calculated as (39±4) and (9±4) meV at 240 K, respectively. At 10 K, direct and indirect band gaps were found as 2.294 and 2.148 eV for TlGaSe₂, 2.547 and 2.521 eV for TlGaS₂ crystals, respectively. The abrupt changes were observed in the direct and indirect band gaps in the some temperature ranges. These changes were interpreted as phase transformation temperatures. The steepness parameters and Urbach energy for TlGaSe₂ and TlGaS₂ samples increased with increasing sample temperature in the range (10–320) K.     

Phase transitions and metastable states in TlGaSe2

The results of measurements of the dielectric constant of TlGaSe₂ in temperature range of successive phase transitions are presented. An anomaly in the temperature dependence of the real part of dielectric constant in TlGaSe₂ has been observed at about 242?K in addition to anomalies at 115, 108, and also near 65?K as reported in previous publications. The presence of temperature hysteresis effects in temperature interval between 115 and 242?K allowed making a conclusion about possible existence of an incommensurate phase in the mentioned temperature range. A model of succession of the structural phase transitions in TlGaSe₂ has been suggested.     

Specific features of the formation of the ferroelectric phase in polytypes of TlGaSe2 crystals

The polytypism of layered crystals of thallium gallium diselenide TlGaSe₂ has been found to substantially affect the temperature of phase transformations and the mechanism of formation of the polar state in these ferroelectrics. In particular, it is shown that the phase transition observed in the C-TlGaSe₂ polytype is an improper ferroelectric phase transition occurring at a temperature T _c ≈ 108 K, whereas the phase transition observed in the 2C-TlGaSe₂ polytype is a proper ferroelectric phase transition occurring at a higher temperature T _c ≈ 111 K. It is concluded that the elucidation of the polytype of a particular sample is a necessary stage of investigation of the TlGaSe₂ crystals.     

Change of exciton-phonon interaction in layered ferroelastic crystals (Cs3Bi2I9)

The half-width of exciton absorption band (n=1) of Cs₃Bi₂I₉ layered ferroelastic crystals was studied carefully as function of temperature in the range from 5 to 300 K. For the first time, we have found a new physical effect: change of exciton-phonon interaction (from weak to strong) in the same sample as temperature increases. It was established that the temperature value T^*=150 K may be considered as characteristic one, below which a crystal loses the nature of layered substance. The effect is explained using a model that takes into account the reconstruction of the crystal lattice from non-layered to layered one.     

Parametric resonance and photogalvanic currents in layered TlGaSe<Subscript>2</Subscript> crystals

The results of the phenomenological study of the abnormal photoresponse kinetics in layered TlGaSe₂ ferroelectric semiconductor have been discussed over the temperature range T of ~170–280 K corresponding to the paraelectric phase of crystal. Taking into account the alterations in the photoresponse kinetics temperature, the main mechanisms of anomalies caused by the spatial inhomogeneity of localized and nonlocalized charges in the bulk of the crystal have been assumed. The mechanism of parametric resonance is suggested to be favored by the photogalvanic currents in the crystal.     

Conductance anisotropy and the power-law current-voltage characteristics along and across the layers of the TiS3 quasi-one-dimensional layered semiconductor

Nonlinear conductance along the crystallographic axis c across the layered whiskers of the TiS₃ quasi-one-dimensional semiconductor has been discovered. It has been shown that the current-voltage characteristics in all three directions along the a, b, and c axes obey a power law with the exponent increasing with a decrease in temperature. Possible mechanisms of the nonlinear conductance including the motion of condensed electrons, excitation and dissociation of electron-hole pairs in two-dimensional layers, and interlayer tunneling under the conditions of the Coulomb blockade with a charge spreading over the layers are considered.     

Field Effect in the Linear and Nonlinear Conductivity of the Layered Quasi-One-Dimensional Semiconductor TiS3

Field-effect transistor structures based on whiskers of layered quasi-one-dimensional semiconductor TiS₃ have been fabricated. The dependences of the conductivity σ on the gate voltage V_g, as well as the current-voltage characteristics of whiskers (“source-drain”) at different V_g values, have been measured in the temperature range of 4.2-300 K. As the temperature decreases, the sensitivity of the conductivity to the gate voltage, α ≡ 1/σdσ/dV_g, increases in the range from 300 to 80 K and decreases sharply below 80 K, where the nonlinear conductivity begins to depend on V_g. The results can be explained by the formation of an electronic crystal at low temperatures.

     

Phase-matched second-harmonic generation due to thermal expansion of TlGaSe2 layered crystal

Second-harmonic generation effects have been investigated in TlGaSe₂ layered crystal over a temperature range where ferroelectric phase exists. Pronounced periodical changes of the second-harmonic signal with temperature have been discovered. The observed effect is explained within the phase synchronism condition which changes with the temperature. The main mechanism of the thermal expansion of the sample in the observed phenomenon is explained.     

Electrical and galvanomagnetic effects in new sodium-doped fullerene composites

The Hall effect, magnetoresistance, the temperature dependence of the electrical resistance, and the current-voltage characteristics of new C₆₀-based carbon-carbon composites were studied in magnetic fields of up to 28 kOe at temperatures T = 1.8–336 K. Sodium-doped samples were used. It is shown that there is weak localization of charge carriers and strong electron-electron interactions. Superconductivity occurs in the range T ≤ 15 K. A mixed current may exist at higher temperatures. Cooper pairs are assumed to form due to the interaction of the conduction electrons with the π-electron system of a C₆₀ molecule.     

CdTe/CdS太阳电池I-V，C-V特性研究

测量了CdTe太阳电池器件从50kHz至1MHz频率范围的电容-电压特性，计算了吸收层的载流子浓度和空间电荷区的位置，电容-电压特性测试结果出现两个峰，峰特征与测试频率有关，用多结模型进行模拟分析，解释了实验结果.测量了电池从220K至300K的变温暗电流-电压特性，得出电池的反向暗饱和电流密度J₀和二级管理想因子A，分析了J₀，A随测量温度的变化,并讨论了电池器件的电流特性. 关键词： CdTe太阳电池 电流-电压特性 电容-电压特性     

Thermal hysteresis and memory effects in TlGaSe2 crystal with incommensurate phase

Temperature dependencies of dielectric permittivity of TlGaSe₂ have been measured under various thermal cycles. Peculiarities of anomalies in temperature dependencies of dielectric permittivity corresponding to structural phase transitions at 108 and 115?K are discussed. The coexistence of two different incommensurate structures in TlGaSe₂ was proposed. The phase transitions at 108 and 115?K are considered as commensurate lock-in transitions. As a result a new model of the structural phase transitions in TlGaSe₂ has been suggested.     

Spectroscopic ellipsometry study of above-band gap optical constants of layered structured TlGaSe2, TlGaS2 and TlInS2 single crystals

Spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements on TlGaSe₂, TlGaS₂ and TlInS₂ layered crystals were carried out on the layer-plane (0 0 1) surfaces, which are perpendicular to the optic axis c^?, in the 1.2–6.2 eV spectral range at room temperature. The real and imaginary parts of the pseudodielectric function as well as pseudorefractive index and pseudoextinction coefficient were found as a result of analysis of ellipsometric data. The structures of critical points in the above-band gap energy range have been characterized from the second derivative spectra of the pseudodielectric function. The analysis revealed four, five and three interband transition structures with critical point energies 2.75, 3.13, 3.72 and 4.45 eV (TlGaSe₂), 3.03, 3.24, 3.53, 4.20 and 4.83 eV (TlGaS₂), and 3.50, 3.85 and 4.50 eV (TlInS₂). For TlGaSe₂ crystals, the determined critical point energies were assigned tentatively to interband transitions using the available electronic energy band structure.     

Temperature dependence of the current-voltage characteristics of the Al/Rhodamine-101/p-Si(1 0 0) contacts

The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of Al/Rhodamine-101/p-Si/Al contacts have been measured at temperatures ranging from 280 to 400 K at 20 K intervals. A barrier height (BH) value of 0.817 eV for the Al/Rh101/p-Si/Al contact was obtained at the room temperature that is significantly larger than the value of 0.58 eV of the conventional Al/p-Si Schottky diode. While the barrier height Φ_b0 decreases the ideality factors (n) become larger with lowering temperature. The high values of n depending on the sample temperature may be ascribed to decrease of the exponentially increase rate in current due to space-charge injection into Rh101 thin film at higher voltage. Therefore, at all temperatures, it has been seen that the I-V characteristics show three different regions, the ohmic behavior at low voltages, and the space charge limited current with an exponential distribution of traps at high voltages.     

Mechanism of charge transfer in n-CdS/p-CdTe heterostructures with a thick layer of the CdTe1 ? xSx solid solution

The current-voltage and capacitance-voltage characteristics of the n-CdS/p-CdTe heterosystem are investigated. An analysis of the results obtained has demonstrated that a high-resistance i layer (the CdTe_{1 − x} S _x solid solution), which is inhomogeneous not only in the electrical conductivity but also in the composition, is formed at the n-CdS/p-CdTe heterointerface. The thicknesses of the solid-solution layers are estimated from the capacitance-voltage characteristics, and regions with different types of conduction are found to exist in the intermediate layer. It is shown that the ambipolar diffusion and drift in the high-resistance CdTe_{1 − x} S _x solid-solution layers are directed toward each other, thus resulting in the appearance of a sublinear portion in the current-voltage characteristics described by the dependence V = exp(Iaw). The observation of a sublinear portion in the current-voltage characteristics measured in both the forward and reverse electric current directions over a wide temperature range 77–323 K suggests that the diffusion-drift regime can occur in different parts of the i layer, depending on the electric current density and the ambient temperature. The changes observed in the electric current and capacitance, as well as in the current-voltage and capacitance-voltage characteristics, after ultrasonic irradiation indicate that, in the CdTe_{1 − x} S _x solid solutions, there exist metastable states, which most probably decay under ultrasonic irradiation and then again form solid solutions with more stable states. Original Russian Text ? Kh.Kh. Ismoilov, A.M. Abdugafurov, Sh.A. Mirsagatov, A.Yu. Leĭderman, 2008, published in Fizika Tverdogo Tela, 2008, Vol. 50, No. 11, pp. 1953–1957.