https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap/2009095
Thermal annealing dependence of some physical properties of Bi-substituted Sn–Sb–Se glassy thin films
1
Semiconductors Laboratory, Department of Applied Physics, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, 143005 Punjab, India
2
Department of Physics, University of Botswana, Botswana
Corresponding author: rthangaraj@rediffmail.com
Received:
10
March
2009
Accepted:
23
March
2009
Published online:
10
June
2009
Bulk glasses of the Sn10Sb
BixSe70 (0 
x ≤ 8) system were prepared by the conventional melt quenching
technique. Thin films were prepared by the thermal evaporation technique on
glass substrates. Appearance of some crystalline phases is observed from the
X-ray diffractograms after heat treatment below the glass transition
temperature for 1 h. Scanning electron microscopy studies also show the
presence of microcrystalline phases in the amorphous matrix after annealing
for 1 h. The effect of Bi concentration and heat treatment on the optical gap
and activation energy for dark conductivity were also investigated for the
pristine as well as annealed films. The results are discussed on the basis
of models related to the presence of defect states in chalcogenide
materials.
PACS: 61.05.C- – X-ray diffraction and scattering / 68.37.-d – Microscopy of surfaces, interfaces, and thin films / 74.25.Gz – Optical properties / 78.66.Jg – Amorphous semiconductors; glasses
© EDP Sciences, 2009
