Microstructure and thermal stability of amorphous materials in the GeS2−La2S3 system

Abstract

GeS2 is known to be a good chalcogenide glass former with a transmission cutoff at 11 μm and has been studied for fiber optic application in the mid infrared region. The rare earth sulfides, oxysulfides, and oxides (La–Er) form reasonably good and stable glasses when mixed with chalcogenides such as Ga2S3. In this work, glass formation was studied in the GeS2−La2S3 system. Two compositions containing 60 mol % and 92.5 mol % GeS2, respectively, were analyzed, and the effects of composition on the microstructure and thermal stability of these glasses were investigated. Microstructural studies were conducted on the as-prepared and heat-treated glasses using TEM and SEM/EDXA. Glasses rich in GeS2 exhibited primary (6–88 nm) and secondary (3–13 nm) phase separation at the molecular level. Differential thermal analysis performed on these glasses indicated glass transition temperatures (Tg) of 510 °C and 420 °C for the two compositions studied. The glasses were stable and the (Tg) was observed to decrease with increasing contents of GeS2 in these glasses.