Crystallization kinetics of Si15Te85 and Si20Te80 chalcogenide glasses

Bulk chalcogenide glasses SixTe100−x (x=15, 20) have been prepared by quenching the melts in liquid nitrogen. The crystallization kinetics of these glasses was investigated using non-isothermal crystallization approach. The glass transition temperatures and the crystallization temperature of Si15Te85 and Si20Te80 were determined using the differential scanning calorimeter at different heating rate of 5, 10, 20, 30 K/min. The activation energies of crystallization ΔEa and the Arvami exponents n of these two compounds were calculated using kinetics formulas. By the analysis of related data, Si20Te80 amorphous has been found with lower crystallization ability but higher thermal stability compared with Si15Te85. And the crystallization processes for these two amorphous both indicated a mixed mechanism of two- and three-dimensional growth.