Premium
Structural characterization of III–V semiconductor surfaces by quantitative aes
Author(s) -
González M. L.,
Alonso M.,
Soria F.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.740140611
Subject(s) - overlayer , auger electron spectroscopy , bilayer , vacancy defect , adsorption , substrate (aquarium) , characterization (materials science) , semiconductor , chemistry , crystallography , attenuation length , materials science , chemical physics , nanotechnology , physics , optics , biochemistry , oceanography , optoelectronics , membrane , nuclear physics , geology
The main objective of the present work is to extend the use of Auger electron spectroscopy as a technique capable of providing information not only about the chemical composition of III–V semiconductor surfaces, but also on surface structure by using some atoms as markers. These atoms can be either the III or V surface atoms, or/and some foreign atoms (O 2 , Si) when the adsorption process is site‐specific. Thus, by the interaction of O 2 and Si with differently prepared GaAs[111] surfaces, we have determined besides the chemical composition of the surface bilayer, the adsorption sites, occupation sequence and the nature of the vacancy sites of the surface layers. Moreover, we have also detected anomalously low attenuation lengths of the substrate atoms. This phenomenon, observed before by other authors in different systems, was never satisfactorily explained. We present experimental evidence that the anomalous attenuation lengths are related to the structural disorder of the adsorbed layers and, therefore, that the low values observed are not correct. Consequently, great care is recommended when using attenuation lengths given by the overlayer method.