The electronic properties of semiconducting chalcogenide glasses in the series Tex(Si0.24Ge0.20As0.56)1-x

Measurements of the electronic properties of semiconducting chalcogenide glasses of composition Te x (Si 0.24 G 0.20 As 0.56 ) 1-x , both in bulk and thin film form are reported; especial care was taken to prevent the formation of a conducting skin, to which these glasses are particularly prone. Resistivity, thermoelectric power, optical absorption, and field effect mobility were measured. Room-temperature DC conduction is exclusively by holes with the Fermi level running through a high density ( approximately 10 19 eV -1 cm -3 ) of trapping states located near the centre of the mobility gap. The form of the temperature dependence of the DC resistivity indicates that the density of states is energy-dependent. The location of the conducting holes is discussed.