Optical Investigations of In2Se2.7Sb0.3 Thin Films Prepared by Thermal
Evaporation Technique
Piyush Patel
1,a*
, Vimal Patel
1,b
, Sandip Vyas
1,c
, Jaydev Patel
1
,
and Himanshu Pavagadhi
1
1
Department of Physics, School of Science, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, 380009,
Gujarat, India.
a
piyush_patel130@yahoo.com,
b
vimalpatel082013@gmail.com,
c
s_m_vyas_msu@yahoo.com,
Keywords: Thin Films, Absorption Coefficient (α), refractive index (η), Extinction Coefficient (k)
and Optical Band Gap (Eg).
Abstract: The III-VI compound semiconductors are important for the fabrication of ionizing
radiation detectors, solid-state electrodes, and photosensitive heterostructures, solar cell as well as
ionic batteries. In this paper, In2Se2.7Sb0.3 thin films have been grown by thermal evaporation
technique onto a with chemically clean glass substrate. Amorphous nature of the films has
been discovered by UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The analysis by absorption spectra within
the spectral range 200nm -900 nm has been used for the optical characterization of thin films. From
these data the optical constants (absorption coefficient (α), refractive index (η), extinction
coefficient (k)) and optical band gap (Eg) are studied. The results were discussed, and reported in
detail.
Introduction
Normally III-VI semiconductors having a layered structured family. The energy gap of InSe
at room temperature is 1.3 eV, which makes it an attractive material for solar energy conversion [1-
5] diodes [6], infrared devices, and lasers [4]. It is also used as promising material for application in
solid solution electrode, opto-electronic devices etc. But little work has been reported on the thin
films [7]. But our interest in the In2Se3 is an n-type semiconductor in the form of hexagonal
structure with a direct band gap of 1.7 eV [8]. They are attractive semiconductors for potential
applications in batteries and photo-electrochemical cells [9-14].
The In2Se3–Sb2Se3 system has been investigated at least three times [15-17]. According to
Wobst [16], this system is a quasibinary cross section of a ternary system; no defined compound has
been observed in it. Belotskii et al. [15] observed a finite region of In2Se3 based solid solution.
According to Guliev et al. [17] found finite solid solutions of substitution based on the binary
compounds and an incongruously melting compound with the composition InSbSe3, which
undergoes a polymorphic transition at 525°C.
In the present work, the effect of film thickness on the optical properties of In2Se2.7Sb0.3 over
the thickness range 0.625 kÅ – 1.500 kÅ has been investigated. An attempt has been made to
evaluate the optical constants (like absorption constant (α), refractive index (η), extinction
constant (k)) and optical band gap (Eg)) are studied.
Experimental Method
The elemental materials Indium(In), Selenium(Se) and Antimony(Sb) of 99.999 %( 5N)
purity were used for the preparation of the alloy with a stoichiometric proportion and sealed in a
quartz ampoule of 25 cm in length and 1 cm in diameter under the vacuum of the order of 10
-5
torr.
The ampoule containing charges was placed in a horizontal alloy mixing furnace at the temperature
700
0
C for 48 hours, during which it was continuously rocked and rotated for proper mixing and
reaction. The ingot was then cooled to room temperature over a period of 24 hours. The crystal of
Materials Science Forum Submitted: 2018-07-08
ISSN: 1662-9752, Vol. 969, pp 355-360 Revised: 2019-02-26
© 2019 Trans Tech Publications Ltd, Switzerland Accepted: 2019-02-26
Online: 2019-08-30
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