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Optical, photo-acoustic and electrical switching studies of amorphous GeS2 thin films

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Abstract

This paper reports optical, photo-acoustic and electrical switching investigations of GeS2 amorphous thin films of different thicknesses, deposited on glass substrates in vacuum. The Tauc parameter (B 1/2) and Urbach energy (E U) have been determined from the transmittance spectra, to understand the changes in structural disorder; it is found that B 1/2 increases whereas E U decreases as the thickness of the films increases. Based on the results, it is suggested that bond re-arrangement, i.e. transformation from homopolar bonds to heteropolar bonds, takes place with increase in thickness. The thermal diffusivity values of GeS2 thin films also show the presence of a chemically ordered network in the GeS2 thin films. Further, it is found that these films exhibit memory-type electrical switching. The observed variation in the switching voltages has been understood on the basis of increase in chemical order.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, Government of India, for financial support under the UGC project no. 37-270/2009(SR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, 627 012, Tamil Nadu, India

    R. T. Ananth Kumar & D. Pathinettam Padiyan

  2. Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore, 560019, Karnataka, India

    Chandasree Das

  3. Department of Instrumentation and Applied Physics, Indian Institute of Science, CV Raman Avenue, Bangalore, 560 012, Karnataka, India

    S. Asokan

  4. Department of Physics, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, 630 003, Tamil Nadu, India

    C. Sanjeeviraja

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  1. R. T. Ananth Kumar
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Correspondence to D. Pathinettam Padiyan.

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Ananth Kumar, R.T., Das, C., Asokan, S. et al. Optical, photo-acoustic and electrical switching studies of amorphous GeS2 thin films. Appl. Phys. A 115, 1151–1158 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-013-7976-9

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