Electrical conductivity, dielectric properties and structure of GeSe3Sb2Se3-ZnSe thin films

Electrical conductivity and dielectric properties of the chalcogenides GeSe3, Sb2Se3, ZnSe, (GeSe3)80(Sb2Se3)20 and (GeSe3)70(Sb2Se3)10(ZnSe)20 thin films are investigated. The effect of ZnSe incorporation with both GeSe3, Sb2Se3 results in amorphous (GeSe3)70(Sb2Se3)10(ZnSe)20 composition as obtained from the X-ray diffraction analysis. The estimated DC activation energy, ΔEDC, in the temperature range from 300 to 373 K is found to decrease from 0.72 eV for (GeSe3)80(Sb2Se3)20 to 0.65 eV for (GeSe3)70(Sb2Se3)10(ZnSe)20. However, the estimated AC activation energy, ΔEAC, over the same temperature range and a frequency range from 0.6 to 1000 kHz, exhibits an opposite trend as its values increase for (GeSe3)70(Sb2Se3)10(ZnSe)20 as compared with that of (GeSe3)80(Sb2Se3)20 composition. Dielectric constant, ε1, and dielectric loss, ε2, behaviour are investigated as well over the same ranges of temperature and frequency.