Calculation of the thickness and optical constants of amorphous arsenic sulphide films from their transmission spectra

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Abstract
The interference modulated transmission spectra T( lambda ) at normal incidence for amorphous arsenic sulphide semiconducting films deposited by thermal evaporation were obtained in the spectral region from 300 nm up to 2000 nm. The straightforward analysis proposed by Swanepoel (1983), which is based on the use of the extremes of the interference fringes, has been applied in order to derive the real and imaginary parts of the complex index of refraction and also the film thickness. Thickness measurements made by a surface profiling stylus have also been carried out to cross check the results obtained by the method employing only T( lambda ). In addition, the optical band gap Egopt has been determined from the absorption coefficient values using Tauc's procedure, i.e. from the relationship alpha (h nu )=K(h nu -Egopt)2/h nu , where K is a constant. Finally, it is emphasised that accurate results were achieved not only with the above mentioned glass composition As2S3, but also in the case of the non-stoichiometric composition As30S70.