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AlSb, GaSb and InSb films were deposited by magnetron sputtering on Si and SiO2/Si substrates and their electronic and structural properties were investigated as a function of film thickness and deposition temperature. Elemental composition and thickness were investigated by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and particle induced x-ray emission analysis, while x-ray diffraction provided information about phase and structure. Surface chemical composition was investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Here we demonstrate that polycrystalline AlSb films can be produced by magnetron sputtering, where films deposited at 550 °C attain a zincblende phase and exhibit the smallest amount of oxygen (compared to other deposition temperatures). GaSb grown by this technique at room temperature holds an amorphous structure, with excess Sb, but for films deposited at 400 °C the structure is polycrystalline, stoichiometric with a zincblende phase. InSb films with a thickness of 75 nm and thinner, deposited at room temperature, are amorphous and for increasing thickness the films attain a zincblende phase with polycrystalline structure. Sputtering performed at elevated temperatures yields films with improved crystalline quality.

InSb films with various thicknesses were deposited by magnetron sputtering on SiO2/Si substrates and subsequently irradiated with 17 MeV Au+7 ions. The structural and electronic changes induced by ion irradiation were investigated by synchrotron and laboratory based techniques. Ion irradiation of InSb transforms compact films (amorphous and polycrystalline) in open cell solid foams. The initial stages of porosity were investigated by transmission electron microscopy analysis and reveal the porous structure initiates as small spherical voids with approximately 3 nm in diameter. The evolution of porosity was investigated by scanning electron microscopy images, which show that film thickness increases up to 16 times with increasing irradiation fluence. Here we show that amorphous InSb films become polycrystalline foams upon irradiation with 17 MeV Au+7 ions at fluences above 1014 cm−2. The films attain a zincblende phase, with crystallites randomly oriented, similarly to the polycrystalline structure attained by thermal annealing of unirradiated films.