Nanostructural pulse laser-deposited Ag(Tl)SbS semiconductor thin films: Growth dynamics, structural and electrical properties

Ag3SbS3 semiconductor material is an attractive substance for different optoelectronic and data storage applications [D. Adler, M.S. Shur, M. Silver, S.R. Ovchinsky, J. Appl. Phys. 51 (1979) 3289]. The most reliable way to get thin films with proper quality is the pulse laser deposition (PLD) technology. The paper reports data on growth dynamics (electron microscopic experiments (EME) performed in situ in order to clarify structural features of the films under PLD process), X-ray diffraction (XRD) investigations and room temperature current-voltage (IVC) characteristics. The sets of investigated samples were prepared by Nd:IAG laser. Films were deposited under substrate temperatures T = 300 K and T = 400 K and at different pulse repetition frequencies. EME studies revealed time-dependent changes of the grown films' structure occurring under stationary pulse repetition frequency and the substrate temperature. The structure of the films was identified as an amorphous with nanoscale crystalline phase inclusions (there are results of the XRD studies). The IVCs investigations performed at the room temperature and under applied bias up to 10 V in both directions showed a domination of tunneling current for all samples under study.