No abstract

The long-term kinetics of physical ageing at ambient temperature is studied in Se-rich As-Se glasses using the conventional differential scanning calorimetry technique. It is analysed through the changes in the structural relaxation parameters occurring during the glass-to-supercooled liquid transition in the heating mode. Along with the time dependences of the glass transition temperature (T(g)) and partial area (A) under the endothermic relaxation peak, the enthalpy losses (ΔH) and calculated fictive temperature (T(F)) are analysed as key parameters, characterizing the kinetics of physical ageing. The latter is shown to have step-wise character, revealing some kinds of subsequent plateaus and steep regions. A phenomenological description of physical ageing in the investigated glasses is proposed on the basis of an alignment-shrinkage mechanism and first-order kinetic equations.

The structure of binary GexSe100−x chalcogenide glass family (0≤x≤30) is determined by high-resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). On the basis of compositional dependences of fitting parameters for Ge and Se core level XPS spectra, the ratio between edge- and corner-shared tetrahedra is determined. We find that this ratio for glasses with 20≤x≤30 is almost constant with a value same as for the high-temperature crystalline form of GeSe2.

To establish the validity of various proposed structural models, we have investigated the structure of the binary As x Se 100−x chalcogenide glass family ͑x ഛ 40͒ by high-resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. From the composition dependence of the valence band, the contributions to the density of states from the 4p lone pair electrons of Se and the 4p bonding states and 4s electrons of Se and As are identified in the top part of the band. The analysis of Se 3d and As 3d core-level spectra supports the so-called chain crossing model for the atomic structure of Se-rich As x Se 100−x bulk glasses. The results also indicate small deviations ͑ϳ3-8%͒ from this model, especially for glass compositions with short Se chains ͑25Ͻ x ഛ 40͒. For example, the presence of As-As homopolar defect bonds in the stoichiometric As 40 Se 60 and of Se-Se-Se fragments in a glass with composition x = 30 is established.