Ion Implantation Induced Modification of Vitreous Chalcogenides

A considerable modification effect on the electrical properties of vitreous chalcogenide films is achieved by ion implantation with different d‐metals. Measurements on the temperature dependence of electrical conductivity show a significant change in the activation energy while room temperature conductivity changes with several orders of magnitude (reaching 10 orders for the highest doses of Ni; D ≈ 1017 cm−2). Similar results are also obtained for the cases of Fe and Co ion implantation, while non‐transition metals like Sn have a much smaller effect on the electrical properties of vitreous chalcogenides. Investigations on the optical properties of modified films are performed with the purpose to receive further and more complete information on the mechanism of increase of electrical conductivity and its connection with the changes in the electronic structure. [Russian Text Ignored].