Effect of laser irradiation on Ag4In12Sb56Te28

Abstract

Ag4In12Sb56Te28 has been synthesized by melt-quench method. Phase homogeneity, crystal structure and effect of laser irradiation have been investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Rietveld refinement of crystal structure revealed that Ag4In12Sb56Te28 is a multiphase system with AgIn3Te5, Sb8Te3 and Sb phases. Combined optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy have been used to understand the distribution of different phases on the surface of the samples, which substantiated the results of Rietveld analysis. Interaction of 20 mW laser beam with samples has been investigated using Raman measurements. The results have shown that regions with large phase fraction of AgIn3Te5 become amorphous during laser-sample interaction, but the starting phase remains nearly same after the interaction. Regions with AgIn3Te5 and nearly equal or larger amount of Sb8Te3 have shown significant growth of α-Sb2O3 during and after laser-sample interaction. Regions rich in Sb have shown formation of AgIn3Te5 and growth of α-Sb2O3 during and after interaction. These observations have been explained based on the maximum temperature rise at different regions during laser-sample interaction.