Abstract
Ga5Ge15Te80 thin films have been deposited by e-beam evaporation method. The chemical composition of the deposited films was identified using energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The electrical conductivity. it of the deposited films during heating/cooling cycles was investigated in the temperatures 298-570 K. The conductivity curve showed two sudden upward trends during the first heating cycle. The first upward trend occurs in the temperature range 408-430 K and was attributed to the amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation. While the second is in the temperature range 470-495 K. and can be attributed to the crystallization process. However, for second heating cycle the conductivity curve becomes reversible. The optical band gap of the as-deposited and annealed film at annealing temperature 423 K was determined from the recorded transmittance and reflectance spectra. The obtained results were confirmed throughout the X-ray and transmission electron microscope studies. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.