Kinetics of silver photo-diffusion in Ag/GeS2 films: observation of the layer structure in the depth direction and the large-scale in-plane structure by specular neutron reflection and off-specular neutron scattering
摘要
The kinetics of Ag photo-diffusion into amorphous GeS2 layer on SiO2 and Si substrates have been studied by specular neutron reflection and off-specular neutron scattering. It was found from the specular neutron reflection that the metastable Ag-rich reaction layer was formed between the Ag and GeS2 layers first by the Ag dissolution from the Ag layer, and then, subsequent Ag diffusion occurred from the Ag-rich reaction layer to the GeS2 host layer until the two layers merged into one uniform layer. The reaction process is the same as Ag/Ge20S80/ Si substrate, but it is different from GeS2/ Ag/ Si substrate. It was found from off-specular neutron scattering that the reaction interface was roughened at the early stage of the photoreaction, and that the photo-oxidized surface layer was significantly roughened by the extended light illumination after completion of Ag-diffusion.