Effect of Stress on Defect Transformation in B⁺and Ag⁺Implanted HgCdTe/CdZnTe Structures

Abstract

The results of X-ray, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy studies of near-surface regions of (111) Hg1−xCdxTe (x = 0.223) structures are presented. These structures were obtained by low-energy implantation with boron and silver ions. TRIM calculation of the depth dependences of impurity concentration and implantation-induced mechanical stresses in the layer near-surface regions has revealed that the low-energy implantation of HgCdTe solid solution with elements of dierent ionic radiuses (B + and Ag +) leads to the formation of layers with signicant dierence in thickness (400 nm and 100 nm, respectively), as well as with maximum mechanical stresses diering by two orders of magnitude (1.4×10 3 Pa and 2.2 × 10 5 Pa, respectively). The structural properties of the Hg1−xCdxTe epilayers were investigated using X-ray high-resolution reciprocal space mapping.

Nano‐scale pattern formation on the surface of HgCdTe produced by ion bombardment

“…3). Implantation with ions of small radius (such as B + ) stimulates the compression of the damaged layer, whereas the implantation with ions of radius comparable with that of Hg (in our case, these are Ag + ions) gives rise to tensile stress in the damaged layer, as confirmed by the X-ray diffraction data obtained in this work and in our previous work [8].…”

“…2, blue curve) as well as peculiarity at q z < 0 on the reciprocal space map of MCT-based heterostructure (Fig. 3c) can mean the formation of the new phase -the polycrystalline MCT with altered composition as it was observed in our previous investigation [8].…”

“…It was found a periodic height modulations or "ripples" induced on the (111) MCT surface by 100 keV B + normalincidence ion implantation [8]. Whereas the ion implantation by Ag + resulted in a formation of nano-scale mounds on the MCT surface both at the normal incidence, and at the oblique-incidence geometry.…”

“…In the previous work [8] it was found that, as a result of the normal-incidence ion implantation with energy ∼100 keV and subsequent annealing, a remarkable variety of nano-scale patterns depending on the type of the implantable ion (B + or Ag + ) is developed on the surface of the pHg 1⎯x Cd x Te/CdZnTe (x ~ 0.223). Presented in this work are the results concerning formation of nano-scale pattern on the surface of a ternary chalcogenide semiconductor compound performed using the method of obliqueincidence ion bombardment.…”