Role of Nitrogen in the Crystallization of Silicon Nitride-Doped Chalcogenide Glasses

Glasses in the Ge-S, Ge-As-Se, and Ge-As-Se-Te systems, doped with Si₃N₄, were melted after sealing under reduced pressure, and their crystallization behavior was examined using differential thermal analysis/differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffractometry. The effect of Si₃N₄ doping on the suppression of the crystallization of chalcogenide glasses was confirmed for all three systems and is attributed to the increased crosslinking upon substitution of the chalcogens by nitrogen atoms, presumably forming structural units that are similar to Ge₃N₄.