Characterization of (As2S3)1-x(Bi2S3)x glasses by DC conductivity

We present DC conductivity measurements of newly synthesised and thermally annealed (As2S3)1-x (Bi2S3)x (0.08 ≤ x ≤ 0.14) glasses. X-ray diffraction measurements show that as-prepared As2S3)1-x(Bi2S3)x glasses were amorphous and after annealing of the samples nucleation and growth of Bi2S3 crystallites in an amorphous matrix occurs. Increasing concentration of bismuth sulfide crystalline inclusions leads to an increase in specific conductivity 10-103 S/m, and decrease in activation energy from 1.2 eV for As2S3 down to 0.95 eV for (As2S3)1-x(Bi2S3)x with x = 0.14. Recrystallization of bismuth-containing alloys leads to a sharp increase in specific conductivity, and a decrease in the activation energy that can be explained within the framework of the model of micro-inhomogeneous conductivity or by the percolation mechanism.