A Study of The Structural, Optical, And Ferroelectric Characteristics of Pb-Ge-Te Nanocrystalline Alloys as Potential Candidates For Memory Devices And Near-Infrared (NIR) Applications

Authors

Asmaa ElkhodaryFollow
Salah M. Elsheikh, The American University in Cairo AUC
Hosny A. Omar, The American University in Cairo AUC
Manal A. Mahdy, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
Iman A. Mahdy, Al-Azhar University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Winter 12-2022

Abstract

Pb_50-xGe_xTe₅₀ (x = 15, 20, 25, 30 at. %) nanocrystalline bulk alloys were prepared using solid-state direct reaction. X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) analysis of the reference structure (Ge = 15 at.%) revealed a slightly distorted cubic structure, with a lattice parameter of 6.43 Å and an inter-axis unit cell angle of 88.69◦. Atomic force images’ analysis and histograms displayed a homogenous particle size distribution in the nanoscale for all samples. Density measurements showed a gradual decrease from 7.89 to 6.98 g/cm3 with increasing Ge content in agreement with the calculated values. The polarization–field hysteresis behavior verifies the ferroelectric activity of the prepared alloys, suggesting them as potential candidates for non-volatile ferroelectric memory devices (NVFRAMs) applications. Optical properties analyzed using diffuse reflectance measurements exhibited direct transitions with a bandgap decreasing from 1.57 to 1.35 eV with increasing Ge content matching the near-infrared spectrum (NIR) perfectly.

Recommended Citation

A. M. Elkhodary, S. M. Elsheikh, H. A. Omar, M. A. Mahdy & I. A. Mahdy, (2023). A study of the structural, optical, and ferroelectric characteristics of Pb-Ge-Te nanocrystalline alloys as potential candidates for memory devices and Near-Infrared (NIR) applications. Materials Science and Engineering: B, 289(March 2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mseb.2022.116223