Comparison of Optical and Electrical Properties of TeO2 Nanostructure Thin Films Before and After Gamma Radiation

Tellurium dioxide (TeO2) is an important semiconductor, which it has high acousto-optic figure of merit, chemical stability and mechanical durability and both in its crystalline and amorphous forms, making it suitable for theoretical studies and technological applications such as optical devices, γ-ray detectors, and gas sensors. In this work, the TeO2 thin film with three different thicknesses was prepared by vacuum thermal evaporation method. The effect of gamma irradiation in the range of 10-40 Gy and also the effect of thermal annealing on properties of TeO2 thin films were investigated. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) results showed the formation of the film with smooth surface. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis were revealed that the as-deposited films were amorphous but after annealing at 400 °C, the crystalline phase of the samples occurred. The optical absorbance after annealing and gamma radiation was increased but the band gap  decreased. The electrical current of samples was increased with increasing of films thickness, gamma dose and also after annealing.