Thermal Studies of Ge-Te-Ga Glasses

Bulk glasses of (GeTe4)),Ga, and (GeTe5)1-xGax (x = 0, 5, 10, 15 mol. %) systems have been prepared by melt-quenched technique. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis has been performed to study the calorimetric behaviour and the thermal stability of the glasses The values of the glass transition temperature (Tg), the crystallization onset temperature (Tc, onset), the crystallization peak temperature (Tc) and the melting temperature (Tm) have been found to be depend on the addition of gallium in the chalcogenide host matrix. The thermal stability of synthesized glasses has been evaluated by some criteria. The estimated values of these criteria show an improvement of the glass forming tendency and the thermal stability of the glasses with the introduction of gallium up to 15 mol %. Consequently, the positively influence of the gallium as network modifier over the thermal characteristics has been proved. Powdered bulk glasses have been heated up to 573 K in order to elucidate the phases attained after thermal treatment.