Influence of chemical composition and doping on optical properties of thallium selenide layers prepared by adsorption/diffusion method

In this work, we investigated the formation of Tl-Se layers followed by doping with metal cations. A two-stage adsorption/diffusion process used to form Tl-Se layers involves (a) selenization in potassium selenotrithionate solution followed by (b) treatment with Tl+ precursor solutions. These layers have been successfully doped with Cu+/Cu2+, Ga3+ and Ag+ cations using a cation exchange reaction. The resulting chemical compositions of Tl-Se and Tl-M-Se (M = Cu, Ga, Ag) layers were investigated using the EDS and AAS methods. The bulk elemental composition and the Tl/Se molar ratio of the Tl-Se layers varied with the concentration of the Tl+ precursor solution, the exposure time in the Tl+ precursor solution, and the form of the Tl+ in the solution, whereas the EDS analysis showed that the surface was slightly enriched in thallium. The optical properties of the formed layers were studied. These layers were identified using room temperature reflection spectrum, the values of absorption edge, bandgap (Eg), band tail width (Urbach energy, EU) of the localised states, Steepness parameter (σ) and electron–phonon interaction (Ee-p).