Dielectric Function and Defect Structure of CdTe Implanted by 350-keV Bi Ions

Abstract

In this work we have developed optical models for the ellipsometric characterization of Bi-implanted CdTe. We have characterized the amount and nature of disorder using Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry combined with channeling (RBS/C). Samples with a systematically varying degree of disorder were prepared using ion implantation of Bi into single-crystalline CdTe at an energy of 350 keV with increasing doses from 3.75×10 13 cm -2 to 6×10 14 cm -2 . The motivation for use of the high atomic mass Bi ions was that previous studies using lighter ions revealed damage at a low level, even for doses several times higher than the amorphization threshold estimated by simulation [P. Petrik et al., phys. stat. sol. (c) 5, 1358[P. Petrik et al., phys. stat. sol. (c) 5, (2008]. In contrast, Bi ions create sufficient disorder for investigation of the changes in dielectric function critical point (CP) features in a wider variety of structures from single-crystalline to the disordered state. The CP features can be described by numerous methods starting from the standard CP model, through the parameterization of Adachi [Adachi et al., J. Appl. Phys. 74, 3435 (1993)], and finally to the generalized CP models. The standard CP model has been demonstrated to be a reliable approach for polycrystalline CdTe characterization used in photovoltaic applications [Li et al., phys. stat. sol. (a) 205, 901 (2008)].