T. Wagner et al., The tailoring of the composition of Ag-As-S amorphous films using photo-induced solid state reaction between Ag and As30S70 films, SOL ST ION, 141, 2001, pp. 387-395
Kinetics of optically induced reaction between silver and As30S70 films was
measured by monitoring the change in thickness of the undoped chalcogenide
using a modified computer-controlled reflectivity technique. Silver concen
tration profiles during optically induced solid state reaction (OSSR) were
traced by means of Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS). The compos
ition of the As-S films was chosen to be As30S70, which is the most favorab
le for optically induced solid state reaction, because it yields a homogene
ous photodoped product. A new technique of step-by-step optically induced s
olid state reaction of Ag into As30S70, amorphous films, which has allowed
to design films with exact silver concentration and to study their properti
es, is reported. The host As30S70 films were photodoped by consecutively di
ssolving a thin (similar to 20 nm) layer of silver, which resulted in homog
eneous films of good optical quality. The silver concentration of the films
ranged between 1 and 27 at.%. We have analyzed in detail the influence of
the silver doping in the host material on optical and thermal properties, a
nd its structure. The photodoped films produced a single-phase homogeneous
material with its structure close to AgAsS2 in some of them. Results of all
analytical techniques have helped to understand the processes taking place
during silver photodissolution. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights
reserved.