Electric conductivity of tellurium-based chalcogenides thin films with Au and Ag contacts

The current - voltage characteristics of some Te - based glassy chalcogenides with Au and Ag paste contacts are studied, paying attention to effect of temperature and annealing on electrical conductivity of the entire functional structure. It is shown that the Au contacts are ohmic but those from Ag paste, being rectifier, are strongly affected by annealing. The temperature increase results in increasing of conductivity independently on the contact material, but for the functional structures with Ag paste contacts, a reversible electrical transition was observed at temperature of about 140 degrees Celsius. By this transition the variation of electrical resistance with several orders of magnitude occurs. (authors)