Silver doped As2S3 chalcogenide films: A diffusion study

Photo‐diffusion of silver across an As2S3 thin film layer is studied, as continuing some earlier work about surface morphology modifications in double‐layer structures of Ag and As2S3, and some qualitative preliminary results on lateral Ag diffusion in As2S3 thin films. An estimation of the Ag film's dissolution rate and the diffusion front's advancement rate in As2S3 is given based on cross‐section measurements. In order to understand better the diffusion mechanism of Ag in As2S3, a structural model of the As2S3 matrix is used to estimate the amount of silver which might be hosted by an As2S3 layer in terms of molar ratio, and an interaction mechanism of the Ag with the chalcogenide matrix is proposed (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)