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Nanostructured GaAs(N) Thin Films Prepared by RF Sputtering
Author(s) -
AlvarezFregoso O.,
JuárezIslas J.A.,
ZelayaAngel O.,
MendozaAlvarez J.G.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
physica status solidi (b)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1521-3951
pISSN - 0370-1972
DOI - 10.1002/1521-3951(200007)220:1<59::aid-pssb59>3.0.co;2-g
Subject(s) - whiskers , sputtering , materials science , substrate (aquarium) , thin film , diffraction , melting point , analytical chemistry (journal) , grain size , nanotechnology , composite material , optics , chemistry , oceanography , physics , chromatography , geology
An rf sputtering system with a GaAs target was used to grow GaAs(N) nanostructured thin films, on 7059 Corning glass substrates in a N 2 ambient at 10 mTorr, during 120 min. Different substrate temperatures ( T s ) were used in the range from room temperature to 400 °C. By Auger spectroscopy it was only possible to determine that the nitrogen content is about 1 at.%. Atomic force microscopy allowed to resolve a well defined fibrous‐nature of films, i.e., the grains have the aspect of whiskers. X‐ray diffraction patterns were employed to calculate the average grain size of whiskers that was in the range 4.0 to 5.5 nm. The average grain size of whiskers does not change by increasing T s , however, the density of whiskers increases with T s following the relationship exp[– a ( T / T m )], where T m is the melting point of GaAs and a is a fitting parameter. The growth process is in agreement with the predictions reported by other authors.