Specific Features of Photoconductivity of Tl1-xIn1-xSnxSe2 Monocrystals at Low Temperatures

The photoconductivity spectra in the temperature range T≈36-200 K and the spectra of thermostimulated currents in the temperature range T≈70-300 K of Tl1-xIn1-xSnxSe2 single crystals obtained by directional crystallization of Bridgman-Stockbarger have been studied. The induced photoconductivity and long-term photoconductivity relaxation processes have been found. To interpret the found results, a model of two-center recombination has been suggested. It is illustrated that the role of the r-centers of slow recombination are formed by Tl vacancies. On the basis of the studies of the spectra of thermally stimulated currents, the thermal energy of electrons activation with t-levels of adhesion has been determined.

Thermally Stimulated Currents in Nanocrystalline Titania

A thorough study on the distribution of defect-related active energy levels has been performed on nanocrystalline TiO2. Films have been deposited on thick-alumina printed circuit boards equipped with electrical contacts, heater and temperature sensors, to carry out a detailed thermally stimulated currents analysis on a wide temperature range (5-630K), in view to evidence contributions from shallow to deep energy levels within the gap. Data have been processed by numerically modelling electrical transport. The model considers both free and hopping contribution to conduction, a density of states characterized by an exponential tail of localized states below the conduction band and the convolution of standard TSC emissions with gaussian distributions to take into account the variability in energy due to local perturbations in the highly disordered network. Results show that in the low temperature range, up to 200K, hopping within the exponential band tail represents the main contribution to electrical conduction. Above room temperature, electrical conduction is dominated by free carriers contribution and by emissions from deep energy levels, with a defect density ranging within 1014 – 1018cm-3, associated to physio- and chemi-sorbed water vapour,OH groups and to vacancy-oxygen defects.