Some considerations of the limitations of the Auger-depth-profiling technique as applied to silver metal and (100) surfaces of indium phosphide

Abstract

A study has been made of the way an electron beam can alter the surface composition of silver metal and (100) indium phosphide during the course of an Auger-profiling experiment. The interaction between electron beam and material has been examined for various conditions of the metal and semiconductor surface. Distinct differences in behaviour have been found to exist between a beam of electrons impinging upon a contaminated surface and a similar beam incident upon a clean surface.

The use of mixed alloy contacts to engineer the interfaces and electrical characteristics of metal-InP contacts

“…This reaction is also accompanied by the formation of intermetallic phases of silver and indium. The composition and microstructure of such interfaces, formed in a simple Ag-(100)InP contacts, has been characterised in previous studies with Auger profiling (Jones and Kirk 1979) and transmission electron microscopy (Steeds et a1 1981). Because of the inherent reactivity of metal-(100)InP interfaces early contact technology involving indium phosphide inevitably made use of a graded or diffuse junction (Gray et a1 1975, Brookbanks 1977 rather than an intrinsically unstable, atomically abrupt interface.…”