Experimental characterization of amorphous As–Se–Sb alloys

Thin films were thermally evaporated from ingot pieces of the As30Se70−xSbx (with 2.5 ⩽ x ⩽ 17.5 at.%) glasses under vacuum of ∼10−5 Torr. Increasing Sb content was found to affect the thermal and optical properties of these films. Non-direct electronic transition was found to be responsible for the photon absorption inside the investigated films. The chemical bond approach has been applied successfully to interpret the decrease of the glass optical gap with increasing Sb content. Decreasing the thermal stability of the As30Se70−xSbx specimen by increasing Sb content is responsible for occurring the amorphous–crystalline process at lower temperatures. Binary As2Se3 and Sb2Se3 phases are the main components of the stoichiometric As30Se60Sb10 composition.