Probing the interfacial and sub-surface structure of Si/Si1 – xGex multilayers

The ability to determine structural and compositional information from the sub-surface region of a semiconductor material has been demonstrated using a new time-of-flight medium energy ion scattering spectroscopy (ToF-MEISS) system. A series of silicon–silicon/germanium (Si/Si1 – xGex) heterostructure and multilayer samples, grown using both solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and gas source chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on Si(100) substrates, have been investigated. These data indicate that each individual layer of Si1 – xGex (x ~ 0.22) in both two- and three-period samples, can be uniquely identified with a resolution of approximately 3 nm. A comparison of MBE and CVD grown samples has also been made using layers with similar structures and composition. The total Ge content of each sample was confirmed using conventional Rutherford backscattering spectrometry

Composition profiles of InAs–GaAs quantum dots determined by medium-energy ion scattering

The composition profile along the [001] growth direction of low-growth-rate InAs–GaAs quantum dots (QDs) has been determined using medium-energy ion scattering (MEIS). A linear profile of In concentration from 100% In at the top of the QDs to 20% at their base provides the best fit to MEIS energy spectra

The structure of epitaxial V2O3 films and their surfaces : a medium energy ion scattering study

Medium energy ion scattering, using 100 keV H+ incident ions, has been used to investigate the growth of epitaxial films, up to thicknesses of ~200 Å, of V2O3 on both Pd(111) and Au(111). Scattered-ion energy spectra provide a measure of the average film thickness and the variations in this thickness, and show that, with suitable annealing, the crystalline quality is good. Plots of the scattering yield as a function of scattering angle, so-called blocking curves, have been measured for two different incidence directions and have been used to determine the surface structure. Specifically, scattering simulations for a range of different model structures show poor agreement with experiment for half-metal (….V’O3V) and vanadyl (….V’O3V=O) terminations, with and without surface interlayer relaxations. However, good agreement with experiment is found for the modified oxygen-termination structure, first proposed by Kresse et al., in which a subsurface V half-metal layer is moved up into the outermost V buckled metal layer to produce a VO2 overlayer on the underlying V2O3, with an associated layer structure of ….O3VV’’V’O3

Shallow BF2 implants in Xe-bombardment-preamorphized Si: the interaction between Xe and F

Si(100) samples, preamorphized to a depth of ~30 nm using 20 keV Xe ions to a nominal fluence of 2×1014 cm-2 were implanted with 1 and 3 keV BF2 ions to fluences of 7×1014 cm-2. Following annealing over a range of temperatures (from 600 to 1130 °C) and times the implant redistribution was investigated using medium-energy ion scattering (MEIS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and energy filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM). MEIS studies showed that for all annealing conditions leading to solid phase epitaxial regrowth, approximately half of the Xe had accumulated at depths of 7 nm for the 1 keV and at 13 nm for the 3 keV BF2 implant. These depths correspond to the end of range of the B and F within the amorphous Si. SIMS showed that in the preamorphized samples, approximately 10% of the F migrates into the bulk and is trapped at the same depths in a ~1:1 ratio to Xe. These observations indicate an interaction between the Xe and F implants and a damage structure that becomes a trapping site. A small fraction of the implanted B is also trapped at this depth. EXTEM micrographs suggest the development of Xe agglomerates at the depths determined by MEIS. The effect is interpreted in terms of the formation of a volume defect structure within the amorphized Si, leading to F stabilized Xe agglomerates or XeF precipitates

Noble gas films on a decagonal AlNiCo quasicrystal

Thermodynamic properties of Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe adsorbed on an Al-Ni-Co quasicrystalline surface (QC) are studied with Grand Canonical Monte Carlo by employing Lennard-Jones interactions with parameter values derived from experiments and traditional combining rules. In all the gas/QC systems, a layer-by-layer film growth is observed at low temperature. The monolayers have regular epitaxial fivefold arrangements which evolve toward sixfold close-packed structures as the pressure is increased. The final states can contain either considerable or negligible amounts of defects. In the latter case, there occurs a structural transition from five to sixfold symmetry which can be described by introducing an order parameter, whose evolution characterizes the transition to be continuous or discontinuous as in the case of Xe/QC (first-order transition with associated latent heat). By simulating fictitious noble gases, we find that the existence of the transition is correlated with the size mismatch between adsorbate and substrate's characteristic lengths. A simple rule is proposed to predict the phenomenon.Comment: 19 pages. 8 figures. (color figures can be seen at http://alpha.mems.duke.edu/wahyu/ or http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/0953-8984/19/1/016007/

Damage profiles of ultrashallow B implants in Si and the Kinchin-Pease relationship

Damage distributions resulting from 0.1-2 keV B+ implantation at room temperature into Si(100) to doses ranging from 1×1014 to 2×1016 cm-2 have been determined using high-depth-resolution medium-energy-ion scattering in the double alignment mode. For all B+ doses and energies investigated a 3-4 nm deep, near-surface damage peak was observed while for energies at and above 1 keV, a second damage peak developed beyond the mean projected B+ ion range of 5.3 nm. This dual damage peak structure is due to dynamic annealing processes. For the near-surface peak it is observed that, at the lowest implant energies and doses used, for which recombination processes are suppressed due to the proximity of the surface capturing interstitials, the value of the damage production yield for low-mass B+ ions is equal or greater than the modified Kinchin-Pease model predictions [G. H. Kinchin and R. S. Pease, Rep. Prog. Phys. 18, 1 (1955); G. H. Kinchin and R. S. Pease, J. Nucl. Energy 1, 200 (1955); P. Sigmund, Appl. Phys. Lett. 14, 114 (1969)]

Enhanced performance of an Ag(100) photocathode by an ultra-thin MgO film

Metal photocathodes are widely utilized as electron sources for particle accelerators for their ease of use, high durability, and fast response time. However, the high work function (WF) and low quantum efficiency (QE) typically observed in metals necessitate the use of high power deep UV lasers. Metal oxide ultra-thin films on metals offer a route to photocathodes with a lower WF and improved QE while maintaining photocathode durability and response time. We show how the photocathode performance of an Ag(100) single crystal is enhanced by the addition of an ultra-thin MgO film. The film growth and WF reduction of 1 eV are characterized, and the QE and mean transverse energy (MTE) are measured as a function of illumination wavelength. An eightfold increase of QE is achieved at 266 nm without adding to MTE through additional surface roughness, and the resistance of the photocathode to O2 gas is greatly improved

The surface science of quasicrystals

The surfaces of quasicrystals have been extensively studied since about 1990. In this paper we review work on the structure and morphology of clean surfaces, and their electronic and phonon structure. We also describe progress in adsorption and epitaxy studies. The paper is illustrated throughout with examples from the literature. We offer some reflections on the wider impact of this body of work and anticipate areas for future development. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version