Comparative study on TeO2 and TeO3 thin film for γ-ray sensor application

Tellurium trioxide (TeO₃) and tellurium dioxide (TeO₂) thin film has been deposited by rf sputtering. The influence of γ-radiation doses (in the range 10–50 Gy) on the optical and electrical properties of as-deposited films were studied. Optical band gap values were found to decrease with increasing radiation dose whereas electrical conductivity was increased by about five orders in magnitude. Monotonic decrease in the values of dielectric constant for the deposited TeO₃ films with increase in radiation dose was observed. The γ-ray response behavior of TeO₃ and TeO₂ thin films are compared, and TeO₃ thin film is found to be more suitable in amorphous form for γ-ray detection.