Effect of Gamma Irradiation on the Optical and Structural properties of Se75Te13In12 Chalcogenide Thin Films

In the present study, Se75Te13In12 chalcogenide glass was synthesized using the conventional melt-quenching technique. The thermal behavior of the prepared alloy was investigated through non-isothermal Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) at a constant heating rate of 25 K/min. From the DSC thermogram, the glass transition temperature (Tg), crystallization temperature (Tc), and melting temperature (Tm) were determined to be 349 K, 376 K, and 533 K, respectively. Thin films of Se₇₅Te₁₃In₁₂ with a thickness of 400 nm were deposited on glass/Si wafer substrates using the thermal evaporation technique. In order to examine the effect of radiation on phase transformation, the films were subjected to gamma irradiation with doses of 6 kGy and 12 kGy. Optical characterization was carried out for both the as-prepared and irradiated films, and the results indicate that the optical band gap decreases with increasing gamma radiation dose. The structural and phase transformation behavior of the as-grown and irradiated films was further analyzed using High Resolution X-ray Diffraction (HRXRD) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM).