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.

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Optical-transmission spectra are very sensitive to inhomogeneities in thin ®lms. In particular, a non-uniform thickness produces a clear shrinking in the transmission spectrum at normal incidence. If this deformation is not taken into account, it may lead to serious errors in the calculated values of the refractive index and ®lm thickness. In this paper, a method ®rst applied by Swanepoel for enabling the transformation of an optical-transmission spectrum of a thin ®lm of wedge-shaped thickness into the spectrum of a uniform ®lm, whose thickness is equal to the average thickness of the non-uniform layer, has been employed. This leads subsequently to the accurate derivation of the refractive index in the subgap region (0.1±1.8 eV), the average thickness, as well as a parameter indicating the degree of ®lmthickness uniformity. This optical procedure is applied to the particular case of freshly-prepared ®lms of the Ge 10 As 15 Se 75 ternary chalcogenide glassy alloy. The dispersion of the refractive index is discussed in terms of the Wemple±DiDomenico single-oscillator model. The optical-absorption edge is described using the`non-direct transition' model proposed by Tauc, and the optical energy gap is calculated by Tauc's extrapolation. Finally, the photo-induced and thermally induced changes in the optical properties of the aGe 10 As 15 Se 75 layers are also studied.

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