Fabrication and characterizations of films made of Te/TeO2nanopowder consolidated by poly(methyl methacrylate)

Tellurium based material was obtained by binding nanosized tellurium grains, produced by dry vibration milling technique, with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The morphology, structural and electrical properties of Te/PMMA films were investigated. The photoelectrical properties of the films were studied under white light illumination varying the optical power density from 2 to 170mW/cm2 and turning on and off the light cyclically. In order to determine the effects of milling technique two sets of Te/PMMA samples were produced by binding the "as received" and milled Te powders with PMMA. A quite prompt and evident photoresponse was observed for the material prepared with Te nanopowder, while not significant variations of the conductivity were detected in a reference sample fabricated with the as received coarse Te powder and illuminated in the same optical power density range. The origin of the photoconduction can be attributed to the enhancement of the ratio between TeO2 and Te phases in the nanopowder occurring during the milling stage