Tuning linear and nonlinear optical properties of Se70Te20Sb10 thin films via 3 MeV proton irradiation for photonic applications

IF 4.6 3区工程技术 Q2 ENGINEERING, ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC

Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing Pub Date : 2025-09-12 DOI:10.1016/j.mssp.2025.110040

Thabang K. Matabana , Cosmas M. Muiva , Morgan Madhuku , Neeraj Mehta , Lawrence K. Benjamin , Thobega Mosimanegape , Dineo P. Sebuso , Conrad B. Tabi

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This study aims to investigate how 3 MeV proton irradiation influences the structural, linear, and nonlinear optical properties of Se₇₀Te₂₀Sb₁₀ thin films, with the goal of assessing their potential for photonic device applications. Thin films were thermally deposited by electron-beam evaporation and exposed to proton fluences ranging from 5 × 10¹³ to 5 × 10¹⁶ ions/cm². X-ray diffraction and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) confirmed the amorphous structure of the films across all fluences. while AFM revealed a substantial increase in surface roughness from 40.5 nm (as-grown) to 386.7 nm at the highest fluence, indicating irradiation-induced morphological reorganization. Optical characterization showed that transmittance and reflectance decreased with increasing fluence, while the absorption coefficient (α) in the 1.5–2.5 eV range increased. The optical band gap (E_g) exhibited a non-linear dependence, decreasing from 1.298 eV (as-grown) to 1.281 eV at 5 × 10¹⁴ ions/cm² then rising to 1.389 eV at 5 × 10¹⁵ ions/cm², and then reducing again at the highest fluence. Urbach energy (Eu) varied complementarily, reflecting disorder–recovery dynamics. The third-order nonlinear susceptibility χ³ peaked at 1.803 × 10⁻¹¹ esu, with corresponding enhancement in the nonlinear refractive index n₂. Dielectric functions and energy loss spectra further confirmed fluence-dependent changes in electronic response. These findings demonstrate that Sb-stabilized Se–Te alloys exhibit tunable optical properties under proton irradiation, making them promising candidates for radiation-hardened optoelectronic and photonic devices.

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利用3mev质子辐照调整Se70Te20Sb10薄膜的线性和非线性光学特性

本研究旨在研究3mev质子辐照如何影响Se70Te20Sb10薄膜的结构、线性和非线性光学性质，以评估其在光子器件中的应用潜力。薄膜通过电子束蒸发热沉积，并暴露在5 × 1013至5 × 1016离子/cm2的质子影响下。x射线衍射和场发射扫描电子显微镜（FESEM）证实了薄膜在所有影响下的非晶结构。而AFM显示，在最高通量下，表面粗糙度从40.5 nm（生长状态）大幅增加到386.7 nm，表明辐照引起的形态重组。光学表征表明，随着通量的增加，透射率和反射率降低，而在1.5 ~ 2.5 eV范围内的吸收系数（α）增加。光学带隙（Eg）呈非线性关系，在5 × 1014离子/cm2下从1.298 eV（生长）下降到1.281 eV，在5 × 1015离子/cm2下上升到1.389 eV，在最高通量下又下降。乌尔巴赫能量（Eu）互补变化，反映了失序-恢复动态。三阶非线性磁化率χ3在1.803 × 10−11 esu处达到峰值，非线性折射率n2相应增强。介电函数和能量损失谱进一步证实了电子响应的影响变化。这些发现表明，sb稳定的Se-Te合金在质子辐照下表现出可调谐的光学特性，使其成为辐射硬化光电和光子器件的有希望的候选者。

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来源期刊

Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing 工程技术-材料科学：综合

CiteScore

8.00

自引率

4.90%

发文量

780

审稿时长

42 days

期刊介绍： Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing provides a unique forum for the discussion of novel processing, applications and theoretical studies of functional materials and devices for (opto)electronics, sensors, detectors, biotechnology and green energy. Each issue will aim to provide a snapshot of current insights, new achievements, breakthroughs and future trends in such diverse fields as microelectronics, energy conversion and storage, communications, biotechnology, (photo)catalysis, nano- and thin-film technology, hybrid and composite materials, chemical processing, vapor-phase deposition, device fabrication, and modelling, which are the backbone of advanced semiconductor processing and applications. Coverage will include: advanced lithography for submicron devices; etching and related topics; ion implantation; damage evolution and related issues; plasma and thermal CVD; rapid thermal processing; advanced metallization and interconnect schemes; thin dielectric layers, oxidation; sol-gel processing; chemical bath and (electro)chemical deposition; compound semiconductor processing; new non-oxide materials and their applications; (macro)molecular and hybrid materials; molecular dynamics, ab-initio methods, Monte Carlo, etc.; new materials and processes for discrete and integrated circuits; magnetic materials and spintronics; heterostructures and quantum devices; engineering of the electrical and optical properties of semiconductors; crystal growth mechanisms; reliability, defect density, intrinsic impurities and defects.