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Composition and structure of ion‐bombardment‐induced growth cones on InP
Author(s) -
Malherbe J. B.,
Lakner H.,
Gries W. H.
Publication year - 1991
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.740171006
Subject(s) - amorphous solid , transmission electron microscopy , irradiation , ion beam , materials science , electron diffraction , scanning electron microscope , ion , substrate (aquarium) , diffraction , indium , analytical chemistry (journal) , optics , crystallography , chemistry , optoelectronics , nanotechnology , composite material , physics , oceanography , organic chemistry , geology , chromatography , nuclear physics
The previously reported 1,2 effect of low‐energy (several keV) ion bombardment on the surface topography of InP was investigated by scanning transmission electron microscopy. Convergent beam electron diffraction patterns of the surface growth ‘cones’ induced by argon ion bombardment of (100) InP between 7 and 10 keV proved the cones to consist of crystalline InP (and not metallic indium, as has sometimes been claimed). The investigation showed that the irradiated surface region is not rendered completely amorphous but that it recrystallizes from the crystalline/amorphous interface in a columnar growth pattern, often terminating in growth cones protruding above the surface. Weak beam investigations revealed that the overwhelming majority of the cones have the orientation of the substrate. These phenomena were observed at all dose densities from 7 × 10 15 to 2 × 10 17 cm −2 .