Sc-doped GeTe thin films prepared by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Scientific Reports |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-84963-3 |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84963-3 |
| Keywords | Phase change materials; Scandium doping; Germanium telluride; Thin films |
| Description | Radio frequency magnetron co-sputtering method employing GeTe and Sc targets was exploited for the deposition of Sc doped GeTe thin films. Different characterization techniques (scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, sheet resistance temperature-dependent measurements, variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry, and laser ablation time-of-flight mass spectrometry) were used to evaluate the properties of as-deposited (amorphous) and annealed (crystalline) Ge-Te-Sc thin films. Prepared amorphous thin films have Ge48Te52, Ge46Te50Sc4, Ge44Te48Sc8, Ge43Te47Sc10 and Ge41Te45Sc14 chemical composition. The crystallization temperatures were found in the region of ~?153–272 °C and they increase with scandium content. Upon amorphous-crystalline material phase change, large changes in sheet resistance were measured, with electrical contrast in terms of sheet resistance ratio Rannealed/Ras-deposited in the range of 1.37.10-4 – 9.1.10-7. Simultaneously, huge variations of optical functions were found as demonstrated by absolute values of optical contrast values (at 405 nm) in the range of |?n|+|?k| = 1.88–3.75 reaching maximum for layer containing 8 at% of Sc. |
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