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Chalcogenide Se90Sb10 thin films are deposited by thermal evaporation from the bulk alloy. X-ray diffraction examination for the annealed films shows the amorphous-crystalline transformation. This is beneficial for optical disk data storage technology. The crystallinity is improved by increasing the annealing temperature. The films annealed at relatively low temperatures exhibit highly transparence reaching to about 90% at incident light of wavelength of 900 nm. The as-prepared and annealed Se90Sb10 films reveal an indirect allowed optical transition. The annealed film at 473 K has an optical band gap of 1.676 eV which is suitable value for solar cell as photovoltaic application. Both the indirect optical energy band gap (Eg) and the oscillator energy (Eo) decrease whereas the oscillator strength (Ed) increases with increasing the annealing temperature. The annealing increases the conductivity and decreases the activation energy for conduction resulting in enhancement of film properties for adapting to solar cells.

Glasses of (Se90Te10)95M5 (where M = Zn and Bi) were prepared using a melt–quench procedure. These incorporated elements were chosen as examples of transition metals and basic metal groups, respectively. Thin films of these glasses at a thickness of 100 nm were evaporated onto cleaned glass substrates. Structural investigations were studied using XRD, SEM, and DSC. The glass transition, Tg, and Onset crystallization behavior of glasses, Tc of (Se90Te10)95M5 (M = Zn and Bi) alloys were analyzed using DSC at a heating rate of 15 K min−1. XRD patterns confirmed the amorphous nature of the films. The absorption coefficient, α, and refractive index, n, were obtained for (Se90Te10)95M5 (M = Zn and Bi) films. The Eg values of Se90Te10 increase as dopant by Zn. Conversely, it decreases as dopant by Bi. Moreover, the optical constants of (Se90Te10)95M5 (M = Zn and Bi) films were estimated. The estimated results confirm the applicability of modifying samples to be used using in optoelectronics applications.

The pre-crystallization and crystallization characteristics for Se 90-x Te 10 Ag x (where x = 4, 6 and 8 at.%) glasses were studied in this work by means of DSC under the non-isothermal conditions. Double stage endothermic glass transition, double stage exothermic crystallization and a single stage endothermic melting peaks were observed in the DSC curves. The annealed samples were then examined using XRD technique and the dominant crystalline phase has been identified. The average crystal sizes for the dominant crystalline phase in the annealed samples were calculated using Debye–Scherrer's formula and the effects of increasing Ag content are detailed. The Hrubý parameter values were assigned to the glasses under study. Moreover, the activation energies of the glass transition were calculated using different approaches at the glass transition temperatures and at different conversions. Also, the fragility index was calculated as a function of conversion and the glasses are found to mutate from being more fragile to be more strong throughout the relaxation process. On the other hand, a simple Gaussian function was able to deconvolute the crystallization overlapping peaks and the crystallization kinetics were calculated.

A new chalcogenide-alkali metal alloy of $$\hbox {Se}_{80}\hbox {Te}_{8}(\hbox {NaCl})_{12}$$ has been prepared by a melt-quench technique. The crystallized phases due to the thermal annealing are observed by X-ray diffraction of the powdered sample. The glass transition and kinetics of crystallization in the $$\hbox {Se}_{80}\hbox {Te}_{8}(\hbox {NaCl})_{12}$$ alloy are studied using the differential scanning calorimetric technique under non-isothermal conditions. The activation energy of the glass transition is evaluated by Kissinger and Mahadevan methods. The crystallization activation energy ( $$E_{\mathrm{c}}$$ ) is calculated by isoconversion Friedman methods. The decrease of $$E_{\mathrm{c}}$$ with increasing crystallization conversion is attributed to the complex mechanism of the crystallization process. Based on the shape of the characteristic kinetic function, the crystallization growth is found to be a three-dimensional growth from the bulk nuclei. The results show that the conditions of the Sestak–Berggren model are satisfied for describing the crystallization process of the studied $$\hbox {Se}_{80}\hbox {Te}_{8}(\hbox {NaCl})_{12}$$ alloy. The parameters M and N involved in this model are calculated and related to the crystallization process.

Initially, Sulfur (S) doping in Se90Te10 glassy alloy was utilized for clarifying the effects produced by minerals on its glass mesh and kinetic characteristics. The crystallization kinetics of bulk Se90Te10 and (Se90Te10)95S5 with different heating rates were analyzed by the differential scanning calorimetry. The processes of the alloy recrystallization after the thermal treatment were recognized by X-ray diffraction. The activation of energy, Eg, of glass transition crystallization, Ec, was utilized for determining various kinetic models. The analysis and experimental data revealed that Eg and EC differ for the additive elements. The effective Ec of crystallization was calculated based on the Kissinger formula. Thus, the Sestak–Berggren model was used for characterizing the DSC crystallization information when it agreed to the experimental results. Consequently, it was found that the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami model can be applied at high heating rates.

The structure of Ge 20 Se 80− x Sn x glassy alloys and crystallization phases are identified using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The glass transition kinetics and the crystallization mechanism of the system are studied using Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) under non-isothermal condition. The results reveal that glass transition temperature ( Tg ) increases with increasing Sn content which is attributed to the increase in the coordination number. The increase of the glass transition activation energy ( Eg ) with increasing Sn content is attributed to the decrease in the internal energy of the system as Sn increases. The compositional dependence of both glass forming ability and thermal stability are studied. From the experimental data, the thermal stability parameter ( S ) is found to be maximum for Ge 20 Se 78 Sn 2 alloy, which indicates that this alloy is thermally more stable in the composition range under investigation. The effect of composition on the crystallization mechanism is discussed using different kinetic models. The crystallization activation energy ( Ec ) decreases with increasing Sn. This is attributed to the addition of Sn increases the tendency of crystallization. The calculated values of Avrami exponent ( n ) indicates the crystallization process occurs in one-and two dimensions for Sn is less than or equals 12 at%, respectively.

Crystallization process of Se85-xTe15Sbx (x = 2.7, 7.5, 10 and 15 at %) chalcogenide glasses has been studied by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) with different heating rates. These glasses are found to have a double glasses transition and overlapped crystalline phases for Se70Te15Sb15 glass while single glasses transition and single crystallization stage for other glasses. Glass transition temperature, Tg, onset crystallization temperature, Tc, and peak crystallization temperature, Tp, are found to be dependent on composition and heating rates. Values of various kinetic parameters such as activation energy of glass transition, Eg, activation energy of crystallization, Ec, Hurby number, Hr, thermal stability, Sp, rate constant, Kp, and Avrami exponent, n, are determined for the present systems. Results indicate that rate of crystallization is dependent on thermal stability and glass-forming ability. Crystallization mechanism occurs in two dimensions for studied compositions. Crystalli...

The crystallization process of Se77.5Te15Sb7.5 glass is studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique under non-isothermal conditions at various heating rates. The crystallization parameters are deduced using different models. The validity of the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami (JMA) model to describe the crystallization process for the studied composition is investigated. Comparing experimental and calculated DSC curves indicate that the crystallization process of Se77.5Te15Sb7.5 glass cannot satisfactorily be described by the JMA model. In general, simulation results indicate that the Sestak–Berggren model is more suitable to describe the crystallization kinetics. The crystalline phases are identified using the X-ray diffraction technique and scanning electron microscopy.

The crystallization kinetics of Se 70 Te 15 Sb 15 chalcogenide glass was studied by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) under non-isothermal conditions. This glass was found to have a double glass transition and double overlapped crystalline phases. The overlapped crystalline phases were successfully separated using the Gaussian fit model. The activation energy, E c , and Avrami index, n , were determined by analyzing the data using the Matausita et. al. method. A strong heating rate depending on the activation energy for the two crystalline peaks was observed. The results indicated that the transformation from amorphous to crystalline phases is a complex process involving different mechanisms of nucleation and growth. The variation of activation energy with crystalline fraction was determined by Kissenger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS) method. The obtained results of directly fitting the experimental DSC data to the calculated DSC curves indicated that the crystallization process of Se 70 Te 15 Sb 15 glass cannot be satisfactorily described by the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami (JMA) model. Simulation results indicated that the Sestak–Berggren (SB) model is more suitable to describe the crystallization process for the studied glass. The crystalline phases for the two events were identified by using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Calorimetric measurements of chalcogenide Se95−xSb5Inx (x = 0, 6, 8 and 10 at%) alloys are carried out using differential thermal analysis (DTA). The glass forming ability and glass transition are analyzed based on the heating rate dependence. The ability to form crystals is found to be increased with increasing In content indicating the suitably for the anticipated storage. Both the glass transition temperature and the glass transition activation energy increase with increasing In content. The crystallization due to the addition of In to the Se–Sb system is investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The crystallization process is described by two models. These are Johnson–Mehl–Avrami (JMA) model and the empirical Sestak–Berggren (SB) model using an iso-conversional method of the transformation rate. The activation energy of crystallization is found to be increased with increasing In content. Based on the evaluated values of Avrami exponent (n), the crystallization growth is not dimensionally the same for the compositions.

The glass transition and the crystallization kinetics of Zn10Se90 glass by differential thermal analysis (DTA) technique under non-isothermal conduction were studied. The effective activation energies of the glass transition and the crystallization have been evaluated on the basses of the Kissinger and Matusita et al. approximations. Kinetic parameters of the crystallization process are significantly influenced by the heating rate. We have compared the experimental DTA with the calculated data curves for Zn10Se90 system using the Johanson–Mehl–Avrami (JMA) and Sestak–Berggren SB(M,N) models. Simulation results indicated that the SB(M,N) model is more suitable for describing the crystallization kinetics for the studied composition. Furthermore, the crystalline phases of annealed Zn10Se90 were characterized by X-ray diffraction. The surface morphology of the annealed samples was examined using scanning electron microscopy.

The crystallization study under non-isothermal conditions of As30Te60Ga10 glass was investigated. The studied composition was synthesized by melt-quenching technique and characterized by different techniques such as X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The XRD analysis revealed that the as-prepared and annealed bulk glass of As30Te60Ga10 exhibit the amorphous, and polycrystalline nature, respectively. The DSC results showed that the heating rate affects the characteristic temperatures, for instance, the glass transition, onset, and peak crystallization temperatures. Furthermore, some thermal analysis methods such as the Kissinger and Matusita et al., approximations were employed to determine the crystallization parameters: for example Avrami exponent and the activation energies for glass transition and crystallization process. In addition, we have compared the experimental DSC data with the calculated ones based on the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami (JMA) and Sestak-Berggren SB(M,N) models. The results indicated that the SB(M,N) model is more suitable for describing the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of the investigated composition.

The structure of the as-prepared and thermal annealed Ag 10 As 30 S 60 chalcogenide glass is characterized using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves recorded at four different heating rates are analyzed to determine the glass and crystallization transition temperatures, thermal stability and enthalpy release. Two separated crystallization peaks are observed in the DSC curves. XRD results indicate the precipitation of AgAsS 4 crystal phase is responsible for the first peak. Numerous phases with S 8 dominant phase are accountable for the second peak. The crystallization kinetics such as the activation energy for the crystallization ( E c ), the frequency factor ( K o ) and the crystallization rate constant K are determined for each crystallization stage. The results show that the crystallization rate constant for the first crystallization stage is about six times larger than that of the second crystallization step.

The structural characterizations of Se 70 Te 30 chalcogenide glass for the as-prepared and thermal annealed samples are identified using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The isothermal thermal annealing process results in a transformation from the amorphous to the crystalline state. The average crystallite size increases from 8.67 to 11.24 nm when the temperature annealing increases from 95 to 118 °C. The thermal analyses of Se 70 Te 30 glass are investigated using a differential thermal analyzer (DTA) at five different heating rates under non-isothermal conditions. The activation energy of the glass forming ( E g ) as a parameter for the glass transition is estimated by employing different approaches proposed for thermal analyses. The study of crystallization kinetics includes the estimation of the activation energy of crystallization ( E c ), frequency factor ( K o ) and Avrami exponent ( n ).

The d.c. conductivity of thermally evaporated Ag10Te90 and Ag20Te80 thin films has been studied. Measurement of the temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity indicates that the increase of annealing temperature leads to a decrease in the activation energy for conduction Ea. In this case the pre-exponential factor and the activation energy Ea satisfies Meyer–Neldel rule. Using the electrical conductivity as a characteristic quantity to follow the growth of crystalline phases in the amorphous matrix, the crystallization kinetics have been studied in the glassy Ag–Te films. The results indicated that, the activation energy for crystallization Ec under isothermal conditions of the glassy Ag10Te90 and Ag20Te80 films is 44.723 and 81.228 kJ/mol, respectively. The obtained value of the Avrami index is between 0.867 and 0.952 for all isotherm temperatures, which means that one-dimensional growth mechanism is working in the crystallization process.

Results of differential thermal analysis (DTA) under non-isothermal conditions on four glasses of BixSe100−x (x=5, 10, 15 and 25 at%) are reported and discussed. The glass transition temperatures (Tg), the onset crystallization temperatures (Tc) and the peak temperatures of crystallization (Tp) were found to be dependent on the compositions and the heating rates. From the dependence on the heating rates of (Tg) and (Tp), the activation energy for glass transition, Eg, and the activation energy for crystallization, Ec, are calculated and their composition dependence is discussed. The crystalline phases resulting from DTA and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been identified using X-ray diffraction. According to the Avrami exponent (n), the results show a one-dimensional growth for the composition Bi5Se95 and two-dimensional growth for the compositions Bi10Se90, Bi15Se85 and Bi25Se75. The kinetic parameters determined have made it possible to discuss the glass-forming ability.

Chalcogenide Te40Se30S30 thin films of different thickness (100–450 nm) are prepared by thermal evaporation of the Te40Se30S30 bulk. X-ray examination of the film shows some prominent peaks relate to crystalline phases indicating the crystallization process. The calculated particles of crystals from the X-ray diffraction peaks are found to be from 11 to 26 nm. As the thickness increases, the transmittance decreases and the reflectance increases. This could be attributed to the increment of the absorption of photons as more states will be available for absorbance in the case of thicker films. The decrease in the direct band gap with thickness is accompanied with an increase in energy of localized states. The obtained data for the refractive index could be fit to the dispersion model based on the single oscillator equation. The single-oscillator energy decreases, while the dispersion energy increases as the thickness increases.

The crystallization kinetics of Cu10Se90 and Cu20Se80 glasses at different heating rates have been studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The crystallization phases resulting from the DSC have been identified using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The DSC thermograms have been analyzed in terms of the activation energy, stability and dimensionality of growth by different models. Results of DSC are reported and discussed from the heating rates’ dependence of values of the glass transition temperature (Tg) and the peak temperature of crystallization (Tp). The characteristic temperatures of the studied chalcogenide glasses has been used to evaluate the glass-forming ability (GFA) by using various thermal stability parameters such as Hruby's criterion (HR). The activation energy for glass (Eg) and the crystallization activation energy (Ec) are derived. The crystallization results are interpreted in terms of recent analyses developed for non-isothermal crystallization and also for the evaluation of (Ec). The average value of the Avrami exponent comes out to be 3, indicating that, the crystallization process takes place via three-dimensional growth with bulk crystallization.

The effects of composition and thermal annealing near crystallization temperature, T c on the optical and structural properties of Ge 20 Se 80− x Bi x ( x =0, 2.5, 5 and 7.5 at%) was investigated. The influence of incorporation Bi content in Ge 20 Se 80− x Bi x system results in a gradual decrease in the indirect optical gap from 1.89 to 1.44 eV, this behavior can be explained as increased tailing. On annealing, the optical band gap E g decreases gradually for the crystallized films while the refractive index increases, this behavior can be attributed to transformation from amorphous to crystalline and was explained in the light of dangling bond model. The refractive index n of as-prepared and annealed films has been analyzed according to the Wwmple–DiDominico single oscillator model and the values of E o and E d were determined. The effect of annealing on the nature and degree of crystallization has been investigated by studying the structure using transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope.

Results of differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) under non-isothermal conditions on three compositions of GexSe92−xIn8 ( x = 10 , 12.5 and 15 at%) are reported and discussed. It is seen that these glasses exhibit a double glass transition and single-stage crystallization on heating. The glass transition temperature (Tg), the onset crystallization temperature (Tc) and the peak temperature of the crystallization (Tp) were found to be dependent on the composition and the heating rates. The activation energy for glass transition (Eg) and for crystallization (Ec) are evaluated and their composition dependence is discussed. The crystallization phases resulting from the DSC have been identified using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicated that the crystallization mechanism occurs in one, two and three dimensional growth according to Avrami exponents (n). The kinetic parameters determined have made it possible to discuss the glass-forming ability.

Chalcogenide Ag10As30S60 thin films are prepared using the thermal evaporation technique from the bulk alloy. Deferential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) curve reveals two crystallization stages for the bulk. The X-ray examination of the as-prepared and annealed films shows that the sample is crystallized in preferential orientations indicated with peaks corresponding the S8 and ternary AsAg3S3 phases. Transmission spectra show that the as-prepared and annealed films have highly transparent over the visible region. The presence of a sharp absorption edge for all films in the transmission spectra recommends Ag10As30S60 thin films as a good optical filter material. The improvement in transparency upon annealing is due to the enhancement in the crystallinity. The decrease in both optical band gap and refractive index of annealed films after crystallization temperatures is discussed in accordance with the structure changes upon annealing.

The microstructure of electron beam deposited Bi x Se 100− x thin films (where x varies from 0 to 16 at.%) was investigated. The morphology of crystallization for in situ thermally annealed and electron beam heated Bi 16 Se 84 films was investigated using transmission electron microscopy. Selected area electron diffraction was used to characterize different phases observed during the crystallization process where the crystalline Bi 2 Se 3 phase was separated. Optical absorption measurements were carried out on as-deposited Bi x Se 100− x films of different compositions. It was found that the mechanism of the optical absorption follows the rule of non-direct transition. The optical energy gap decreases with increasing Bi content. The effect of thermal annealing on the optical properties of Bi 16 Se 84 films was investigated. The study indicated that Bi 16 Se 84 films have low threshold energy for amorphization, high optical absorption coefficient and optimum contrast between the amorphous and the crystalline states. The decrease in the optical gap is discussed on the basis of amorphous-crystalline transformations.

Glassy As45.2Te46.6In8.2 thin films were thermally evaporated onto chemically cleaned glass substrates. Crystallization kinetics were determined under isothermal conditions. Heating the film up to the isothermal temperature with different rates was found to yield films with different electrical characterization. Conductivity of the investigated film was used as a parameter indicating the crystallized fraction χ(t). The obtained values of the activation energy for crystallization, the frequency factor and the Avrami index are (100±0.5) kJ/mol, (7.31±0.04) 108 s−1 and 1.45, respectively. The non-integer value of the Avrami index indicates that two crystallization mechanisms are responsible for the crystal growth.

Results of differential thermal analysis (DTA) under nonisothermal conditions on five chalcogenide glasses of the In x Se 1 − x system ( x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25 at.) are reported and discussed. The crystallization mechanism has been studied by using DTA, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction. From the dependence of the glass transition temperature ( T g ), the onset crystallization temperature ( T c ) and the crystallization peak temperature ( T p ) on the heating rate (α), the glass transition activation energy ( E t ) and the crystallization activation energy ( E c ) were derived. The calculated E t for In x Se 1 − x varied between 246 and 309 kJ/mol. The results indicate that bulk crystallization with two-dimensional growth occurs for these glasses. The average activation energy of crystallization for In x Se 1 − x varied between 105 and 125 kJ/mol. In 0.10 Se 0.90 chalcogenide glass showed a minimum value of E c as well as ( T c - T g ), which represents the thermal stability of the glass, indicating that this composition has a tendency towards crystallization more than the other compositions.

Crystallization kinetics of the Bi10Se90−xInx glasses with x = 5, 10, and 20 at % have been studied under non-isothermal conditions. From the heating rate dependence of Tg and Tp, values of the activation energy for the glass transition (Et) and the activation energy for crystallization (Ec) are evaluated and their composition dependence discussed. DSC thermograms and X-ray diffractograms are useful in clarifying the role of In content on the crystallization phases and the electrical resistivity of these glasses. The results indicate that the crystallization mechanism involves several complex processes and that bulk crystallization with three-dimensional growth dominates over the other crystallization processes.

Differential scanning calorimetry data at different heating rates on Se 0.7 Te 0.3 chalcogenide glass are reported and discussed. From the heating rate dependence of values of T g , T c and T p , the glass transition activation energy, E t , and the crystallization activation energy, E c , were derived. The crystallization data are interpreted in terms of recent analyses developed for non-isothermic crystallization and also for the evaluation of E c and the characterization of a crystallization mechanism. The results indicate that bulk crystallization with two-dimensional growth occurs for this glass. The calculated E t and E c are 143 ± 3 and 174 ± 8 kJ/mol, respectively.

The crystallization kinetics of the chalcogenide glass Se0.8Te0.2 was studied by means of differential scanning calorimetry. The variation in partial area (X) with temperature (T) revealed that the transition from the amorphous to the crystalline phase occurs in two dimensions.

Results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) under isothermal conditions on Se70Ge20Sb10 glass are reported and discussed. By using the Avrami equation the activation energy for crystal growth (EG) has been evaluated and the crystallization mechanism has been studied. The results indicate that the crystallization process is a one-dimensional growth. The calculated value of EG is 142.8 kJ mol-1 for Se70Ge20Sb10 chalcogenide glass.

Thermally induced phase transformations in chalcogenide thin films evaporated from the alloy As 36-Te 53-Ge 11 (wt.%) onto glass substrates kept at room temperature were investigated using transmission electron microscopy. Although the as-deposited films showed an amorphous structure, a sudden and very fast transformation to a crystalline phase took place dendritically on electron-beam heating in the microscope. Annealing of thin films outside the microscope in the temperature range 100–170 °C was also found to cause and assist dendritic recrystallization. This formation of dendrites is discussed in terms of the properties of the material.

The effect of temperature T , electrode separation d and substrate temperature T s on the I–V characteristics of amorphous films 3500 A thick, vapour deposited from the alloy TeAsGe (53:36:11 at. %) onto a glass substrate at room temperature, were investigated. The material displayed the behaviour of a negative resistance device with a memory. The behaviour for T =constant is described by the relation V = CI exp (− αI ), where C and α are constants for a specimen at constant temperature. The threshold voltage at which the off state transforms to the negative resistance state decreased with T according to the relation V th = V 0 exp ( E v /2 kT ), where E v = 0.21 eV. V th increased with d and decreased with T s and was related to changes in resistance and structure. Microscope examination showed the formation of filaments containing recrystalized structure arising from Joule heating.

Amorphous Ge films are used as non-injecting ohmic contacts to high-resistivity n-silicon radiation detectors, but the function of this contact is not yet fully explored. One part problem is the role of the metal films used as external contacts to the amorphous film. In this paper we investigate the function of different contacting metals, such as Au, Al, Cr by measuring the I-V-characteristics of sandwich structures with two metals on both sides of the amorphous evaporated Ge film (of typical thickness 1 μm). It was found that while the symmetric CrGeCr structure (also AuGeAu) had low resistance (leading to resistivity values of ≅4 × 104ωcm for the Ge film), the unsymmetric structures e.g. AlGeCr and AlGeAu, showed higher resistance. This was again found for the AlGeAl structure, which also showed some polarity dependence. Rutherford backscattering was used to investigate diffusion effects between the layers; also the microstructure of the Ge films was investigated by electron microscopy.

A systematic study of the thermal, structural, optical and electrical properties of BixSe100−x glasses (x = 5, 10, 15, 25 at %) were carried out. The bulk materials were prepared by the usual melt quenching technique then thin films were deposited by thermal evaporation under 10−5 Torr vacuum. The DTA analysis indicated the dependence of the glass transition and crystallization temperatures on the compositions. The crystalline phases were identified using x‐ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscope techniques. The mechanism of the optical absorption followed the rule of direct transition. The optical energy gap decreases and width of localized states increases with increasing Bi content. The dependence of the electrical conductivity on the composition has been investigated. The σ − T dependence for all considered compositions shows semiconductor materials behavior. The conduction phenomena of the investigated thin films proceeded through two distinct mechanisms. In the high temperature region the thermally activated conduction may be represented through the extended states. In the low temperature region (less thermally activated) can be represented by the hopping conduction through the localized states.