Structural, electrical and optical properties of Bi2Se3 and Bi2Se(3-x)Tex thin films

Thin films of Bi2Se3, Bi2Se2.9Te0.1, Bi2Se2.7Te0.3 and Bi2Se2.6Te0.4 are prepared by compound evaporation. Micro structural, optical and electrical measurements are carried out on these films. X-ray diffraction pattern indicates that the as-prepared films are polycrystalline in nature with exact matching of standard pattern. The composition and morphology are determined using energy dispersive X-ray analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The optical band gap, which is direct allowed, is 0.67 eV for Bi2Se3 thin films and the activation energy is 53 meV. Tellurium doped thin films also show strong optical absorption corresponding to a band gap of 0.70-0.78 eV. Absolute value of electrical conductivity in the case of tellurium doped thin film shows a decreasing trend with respect to parent structure. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.