The influence of composition on short-range order of amorphous As2S3-Sb2S3 chalcogenide alloys: a XRD and Raman study

In the present paper the amorphous As2S3-Sb2S3 chalcogenide alloys have been studied by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The experimental X-ray diffraction profiles confirmed an amorphous nature of studied samples. The obtained pair distribution functions (PDF) have manifested the evolution of the short-range in As2S3-Sb2S3 system. The positions of the first peaks correspond to the values of 2.29-2.42 angstrom, positions of the second peaks - 3.45-3.54 angstrom for studied glasses. Systematic compositional changes in As2S3-Sb2S3 alloys have been observed in the evolution of Raman bands. Raman data show that pseudo-binary As2S3-Sb2S3 glasses contain different nanophases: AsS3/2 and SbS3/2 pyramidal units, As4S4 units and S rings or S-8 rings fragments, whose concentration changes along the chosen compositional cross-section.