The density, nanohardness and some optical properties of As-S and As-Se chalcogenide bulk glasses and thin films

Amorphous As₂S₃, As₂Se₃ and As₁Se₉₉ bulk glasses and thin films were prepared by the melt quenching technique and vacuum thermal evaporation, respectively, on different substrates. The density (ρ) - determined by the simple and cheap method of precise weighting, refractive index (n), structural arrangement - inferred from Raman spectroscopy, and nanohardness (H _ind) were determined for all the studied materials in both bulk and thin film states. It is found that regardless of the chemical composition, the bulk glass density, refractive index and nanohardness are higher in comparison with those of the corresponding virgin and by annealing relaxed thin films, and the observed differences are discussed. The almost negligible influence of the substrate on the thin films density, structural arrangement and nanohardness, was observed.