Crystallization of some semiconducting chalcogenide glasses in the AsSeBi system

Isothermal crystallization in vacuum and in air was studied in glassy As Se_1.5Bi_0.05 at 240 and 260°C. Electrical properties, density, and microhardness were measured. X-ray diffraction of the annealed samples was also examined.Unlike As Se_1.5, As Se_1.5Bi_0.05 easily crystallizes. The first process of devitrification has an induction period (characteristic parameters suffer little changes). As crystallization increases, the density of the alloys also increases and the microhardness decreases. The electrical conductivity increases at 20°C by 6–7 orders of magnitude and the activation energy of electrical conductivity decreases by about 1.7 eV.