Effect of heavy ion irradiation on the electrical and optical properties of amorphous chalcogenide thin films

Thin films of amorphous Se90-xSb10Inx and GeSe have been prepared by electron beam evaporation technique. The effect of irradiation of GeSe and Se90-xSb10Inx (x = 0, 5, 10, 15) thin films on the optical energy gap and dc activation energy has been investigated for different doses of C-12(5+) and Ag-107(14+), respectively, at 10(12) and 10(13) ions cm(-2). The optical band gap of GeSe decreases from 1.70 to 1.43 eV on irradiation with a dose of 10(13) ions cm(-2). Similar change was observed in Se90-xSb10Inx thin films. The value of dc activation energy also decreased with the increase in radiation dose. The results are explained by considering the energy deposited due to the electronic energy loss upon irradiation with heavy ions, which modifies the properties of the material.