High thermal stability and optical contrast of Mo-doped Ge8Sb2Te11 films prepared by magnetron co-sputtering

Abstract

In this work, Ge8Sb2Te11 (GST) films with high melting point element Mo doping were prepared by magnetron co-sputtering, and the influence of Mo content on the phase transformation and optical properties of the films was investigated. The results of GIXRD, XPS, and ellipsometry analysis show that Mo will occupy the lattice vacancy, promoting grain growth and accelerating phase transitions. With an increase in Mo content, the phase transition temperature of the films can reach 360 °C, and the amorphous thermal stability of the films can be enhanced by Mo doping. Meanwhile, the optical properties of the films are improved. The optical band gap of Mo-doped films is reduced, the absorption coefficient rises, and the refractive index contrast of GST films with low Mo-doping in the Vis-NIR band is as high as 2.27. This result will make it possible to apply Ge8Sb2Te11 thin films in structural color fields and broaden their color spectrum.