Electrical conduction mechanism in GeSeSb chalcogenide glasses

Abstract

Electrical conductivity of chalcogenide glassy system Ge30-xSe70Sbx (x = 10, 15, 20 and 25) prepared by melt quenching has been determined at different temperatures in bulk through the I-V characteristic curves. It is quite evident from results that Poole-Frenkel conduction mechanisms hold good for conduction in these glasses in a given temperature range. The variation in electrical conductivity with composition was attributed to the Se-Sb bond concentration in the Se-Ge-Sb system. Results indicated that Ge5Se70Sb25 showed the minimum resistance. In view of this the composition Ge5Se70Sb25 may be coined as 'critical composition' in the proposed series. Also the activation energies of conduction of these glassy alloys have been calculated in higher and lower temperature range using the Arrhenius equation.