Copper Antimony Chalcogenides Synthesis Characterization and Investigation of Laser Induced Phase Transitions

Abstract

This work presents a summary of research on a comprehensive investigation into the synthesis and characterization of Cu-Sb-chalcogenide compounds, namely Cu3SbS4, Cu3SbSe4, and CuSbTe2, with a focus on understanding their physical and optical properties. Material synthesis was carried out by a two-step growth process, with the deposition of metals onto substrates followed by chalcogenation. The synthesized materials were thoroughly characterized using a combination of techniques, including grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, Raman and UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and ellipsometry. newlineFurther, Cu3SbS4 and Cu3SbSe4 were investigated for their suitability in laser-induced phase transition processes. Phase-pure thin films of Cu3SbS4 and Cu3SbSe4 were exposed to varying power levels of 532 nm continuous-wave laser light. The observed phase transformations were analyzed using Raman spectroscopic measurements. The surface temperature of the thin films during laser irradiation was estimated by solving the heat diffusion equation using COMSOL Multiphysics simulation software. newlineA detailed analysis of power-dependent and time-resolved Raman spectroscopy was conducted to gain insights into the laser-induced phase transition dynamics in Cu3SbS4 thin films. The activation energy of the laser irradiation process was calculated from time-resolved spectroscopy by fitting the temporal evolution and employing the Arrhenius equation. This work contributes to the understanding of Cu-Sb-chalcogenides and their phase transitions, providing valuable insights into their material properties and potential technological applications. newline newline