Microscopic origin of demixing in Ge20SexTe80-x alloys

L. Ratkai (1) , Clément Conseil (2) , Virginie Nazabal (2) , Bruno Bureau (2) , I. Kaban (3) , J. Bednarcik (4) , B. Beuneu (5) , P. Jovari (6)

1 GRAD SCH PHYS BUDAPEST
2 ISCR - Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes
3 Institute for Complex Materials
4 DESY - Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron [Zeuthen]
5 LLB - UMR 12 - Laboratoire Léon Brillouin
6 Res Inst Solid State Phys & Opt

The structure of Ge20SexTe80−x (x = 5, 10, 15, 20) glasses has been investigated by X-ray and neutron diffraction as well as Ge and Se K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements. Experimental datasets have been fitted simultaneously by the reverse Monte Carlo simulation technique. It has been found that all components obey the 8-N rule. Se binds preferentially to Ge. At x = 20, experimental data can be fitted without Se-Te bonding, but Se-Se bonds appear, and the Te-Te coordination number starts to increase. These observations show that though Se and Te are completely miscible in the liquid and in the solid phases the presence of Ge induces nanoscale phase separation.

Mots clés: Amorphous materials; Atomic scale structure; Neutron diffraction; X-ray diffraction; EXAFS; IR optics

Domaines: Matériaux

L. Ratkai, Clément Conseil, Virginie Nazabal, Bruno Bureau, I. Kaban, et al.. Microscopic origin of demixing in Ge20SexTe80-x alloys. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2011, 509 (17), pp.5190-5194. ⟨10.1016/j.jallcom.2011.02.032⟩. ⟨hal-00719546⟩