The preparation of the Ag, (As0.33S0.67)(100-x) amorphous films by optically-induced solid state reaction and the films properties

The technique of step-by-step optically-induced solid state reaction (OSSR) of Ag with As33S67 amorphous Alms, which has allowed to design films with exact silver concentration, is reported. The host As33S67 films were photod oped by consecutive dissolving thin (similar to 10 nm) layers of silver, wh ich resulted in a single-phase optically homogeneous film. It was possible to prepare amorphous Ag-A (AS(0.33)So(0.67))(100-x) films With defined silv er concentrations of amorphous solid solutions ranging from 1 to 41 at. %. We have analyzed the effect of the silver doping in the host material on op tical, thermal and mechanical properties. and its structure by means of opt ical spectroscopy, temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry, microhardness measurements and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. The photo doped films with a silver concentration close to 25 at. %. i.e. with compos ition of the stoichiometric AgAsS2 compound, showed distinct features of th eir optical, thermal, mechanical properties and their structure. (C) 2001 E lsevier Science B,V. All rights reserved.