Effect of Oxygen at Elevated Temperatures on Chemical, Structural, and Morphological Properties of Arsenic Trisulfide Glasses

Chalcogenide glasses are important in a range of optical applications because of their good infrared transmission and low phonon energy, as compared to the oxide glasses. These glasses are considered promising materials for the design of all optical high-speed elements, data processing (electronic switches, optical memories), solar cells, and waveguides. Such optical components are often used in ambient atmosphere. In this study, polished arsenic trisulfide (As₂S₃) samples were heated in a furnace at selected temperatures in ambient atmosphere. Subsequently, samples were characterized using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), micro-Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) after each stage of environmental exposure oxidation to monitor any change in chemical structure and morphological patterns. Although heating produced a change in the surface roughness, no oxidation was observed.