FURI | Spring 2019

Optical Characterization of Silver-Doped Germanium-Chalcogenide Thin-films

The purpose of this research is to optically characterize germanium-based chalcogenide thin films and evaluate how their properties change when the composition is altered and when they are doped with silver. Using techniques such as UV-Vis spectroscopy, profilometry, and ellipsometry, parameters that describe the optical characteristics are found, including the absorption coefficient, refractive index, optical band gap energy, and information on the density of states. Having a better understanding of the materials’ physical properties will be useful to aid in the creation of microsystems based on these materials by selecting optimal composition and growth conditions.