Compositional effects of Ga incorporation on electrical and dielectric parameters in Ge-Se-Sb-Ga thin films

Abstract

In this paper, the existence of new selenium-rich chalcogenide glassy systems i.e. (Ge20Se80)90-xSb10Gax (x = 2, 4, 6 and 10 at %) had been reported. (Ge20Se80)90-xSb10Gax glassy systems were prepared using melt-quenching technique. Thin films of (Ge20Se80)90-xSb10Gax were prepared on properly cleaned glass substrates using vacuum evaporation technique. Planar geometry of indium (In) electrodes (electrode spacing 0.08 cm) was used for electrical measurements. The physical parameters – average number of constraints, cohesive energy, mean bond energy, average coordination number, heat of atomization, glass transitition temperature and lone pair electrons had been estimated. The high values for the lone pair electrons proves the investigated system to be a good glass former. The increasing values of cohesive energy, glass transition temperature and mean bond energy with the incorporation of Ga, reveal that Ge-Se-Sb-Ga glassy systems are thermally stable glasses. The current transport mechanisms had been studied within the temperature range 173–363 K. Thermionic emission dominated in the high temperature region above 333 K. Within the intermediate temperature range 273–333 K, thermally-assisted tunneling of the charge carriers through grain boundary potential as well as thermionic emission over grain boundary potential contributed to the conduction mechanism. Below 273 K, Mott’s hopping process dominated the conduction mechanism. Dielectric measurements had been examined within the temperature range 173–363 K and the frequency range 50 Hz–1 MHz. Dielectric constant as well as dielectric loss decreased as the frequency was increased and increased as the temperature was increased. Orientation polarization described the temperature-dependence and frequency-dependence of dielectric constant. Temperature-dependence and frequency-dependence of dielectric loss was explained by conduction loss as well as hopping of charger carriers. The ac conductivity agrees with the power law: ωs where s < 1. The present investigation of dielectric parameters could be explained in terms of correlated barrier hopping (CBH) model. Profound analysis of the physical, electrical and dielectric properties and their variation as a function of Ga-content suggest the utilization of these glasses in optoelectronic devices.