Study of electrical and microstructural properties of Ag-doped As-S-Se chalcogenide glasses

•Phase separation was confirmed by SEM and EDAX in Ag doped glassy network.•Presence of different phases was directly expressed in the impedance spectra.•Thermally activated hopping conduction mechanism is explained using a CBH model.•IS analysis revealed the presence of a several temperature dependent relaxations.•Improvement of electric properties is observed upon doping with Ag. Glasses from the silver doped As40S30Se30 matrix were successfully prepared using the melt–quenching technique. Structural properties of the samples were investigated with X–ray diffraction technique (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy dispersive X–ray spectroscopy (EDAX). Analysis revealed amorphous nature for the sample with 10 at.% and confirmed presence of crystalline centers for the sample with 15 at.% Ag. Electrical properties have been investigated using complex impedance spectroscopy. Impedance spectra revealed presence of different relaxation processes. Morphological changes in the studied samples registered in the SEM scans in the form of phase separation, were directly expressed in the impedance spectra. Conductivity enhancement upon doping with metal content was found. DC data follows Arrhenius behavior while AC Jonscher's power law. Obtained results suggest that Ag doping improves the electrical properties, of this type material, making them probably suitable as memory materials and their potential applications in electronics devices. [Display omitted]