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Study of the optical properties of amorphous As–Se–S thin films

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Abstract

This study investigates the effects of substitution of selenium by sulfur on the optical constants of amorphous (a-)As20Se80 − xSx films (x = 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 at%), where the coordination number for both Se and S is the same. The absorption coefficient, α, and the index of refraction, n, were derived using the transmission spectra in a wide range of wavelengths from 400 to 2500 nm. This revealed that the index of refraction for the a-As20Se80 − xSx system decreases with increase in sulfur content throughout the range under study. The effective coordination number of As has been determined based on the refractive index dispersion analysis. A decreasing in Nc from 4.022 to 3.752 with increase content of sulfur from 0 to 20 at% has been recorded. In addition, the optical bandgap, Eg, of the a-As20Se80 − xSx thin films increases with increase in S content which can be explicated in terms of the chemical bond approach.

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Acknowledgements

The author (H. H. Hegazy) gratefully thank the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University for the financial support through research groups program under grant number (R.G.P.1/57/39).

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Correspondence to Kamal A. Aly.

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Aly, K.A., Hegazy, H.H., Dahshan, A. et al. Study of the optical properties of amorphous As–Se–S thin films. Appl. Phys. A 124, 868 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-018-2278-x

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