On electronic conduction in the pre-switching region of glassy semiconducting alloys As40Se30Te30 and As20Se50Te30

The off-state direct current I–V characteristics for glassy alloys As₄₀Se₃₀Te₃₀ and As₂₀Se₅₀Te₃₀ at different temperatures were studied. For this study of electrical conduction properties, two kinds of electrode configurations were used: a double-point contact on one surface and a sandwich device. It was found that current flow can be space-charge limited, producing non-ohmic behaviour, which in turn reflects on the electrical switching effect that the materials exhibit. The influence of the selenium content on the electrical properties was also studied. The experimental results obtained were compared with those in the literature, and the differences justified by the method of material preparation. Lastly, the dependence of ohmic resistance on temperature was analyzed, and the characteristic behaviour of intrinsic semiconduction observed.