Optical characteristics of pulsed laser deposited Ge-Sb-Te thin films studied by spectroscopic ellipsometry

Pulsed laser deposition technique was used for the fabrication of (GeTe) 1−x (Sb 2 Te 3 ) x (x=0, 0.33, 0.50, 0.66, and 1) amorphous thin films. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive x-ray analysis, x-ray diffraction, optical reflectivity, and sheet resistance temperature dependences as well as variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements were used to characterize as-deposited (amorphous) and annealed (rocksaltlike) layers. In order to extract optical functions of the films, the Cody-Lorentz model was applied for the analysis of ellipsometric data. Fitted sets of Cody-Lorentz model parameters are discussed in relation with chemical composition and the structure of the layers. The GeTe component content was found to be responsible for the huge optical functions and thickness changes upon amorphous-to-fcc phase transition.