Optical properties of GaAs films deposited via pulsed ion ablation

Optical reflectance and absorbance of gallium arsenide films formed on polycrystalline corundum, quartz glass, and copper foil are investigated in the energy interval of 1.1–6.2 eV. The films have been deposited from ablation plasma induced by a high-power ion beam. The exponential and interband absorbance spectra of the material of films are determined by defects in the GaAs crystalline lattice and the intricate composition of the material with predominance of nanocrystalline inclusions in the amorphous phase. Films deposited on polycor at the plasma flame center with the use of a low-resistance target have optimal properties for application in devices of optoelectronics and solar power engineering. Thermal vacuum treatment at 300–850 K modifies the optical properties of films owing to annealing of defects and changing of the structural-phase composition of a material.