Effect of Sn doping in optical properties of Se-Ge glass and glass-ceramics

In this study, Se60Ge40 glass systems were synthesized with different amounts of tin at 850 degrees C and quenched in salt bath. In order to improve hardness of the glasses, those were annealed at a temperature of 20 degrees C higher than the Glass Transition Temperature (Tg) for 4 h. Crystalized GeSe and SnSe phases were determined via X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. Fermi energy, over-batch energy, and direct and indirect band gap energies were calculated using Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV spectra). Physical properties including hardness, coordination number, and density were investigated, with the influence of different amounts of Sn on these properties further studied. In order to undertake structural studies on the glasses, the samples were subjected to Raman spectroscopy. Size and distribution of the nanocrystals nucleated in the ceramic glass were observed and measured utilizing FESEM and TEM analyses. Chemical resistance of the samples in sulfuric and fluoric acids and its impact on IR transmittance were also evaluated.