Growth of Surface Micro- and Nanostructures During Depth Profiling of PbTe Crystals by Ar Plasma

Authors D.M. Zayachuk1, , V.E. Slynko2, A. Csik3
Affiliations

1 Lviv Polytechnic National University, 12, S. Bandera Str., 79013 Lviv, Ukraine

2 Institute for Problems of Material Science NASU, Chernivtsy Branch, 5, Vilde Str., 58001 Chernivtsi, Ukraine

3 Institute for Nuclear Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (ATOMKI), H-4026 Debrecen, Bem ter 18/c, Hungary

Е-mail zayachuk@polynet.lviv.ua
Issue Volume 9, Year 2017, Number 5
Dates Received 18 August 2017; published online 16 October 2017
Citation D.M. Zayachuk, V.E. Slynko, A. Csik, J. Nano- Electron. Phys. 9 No 5, 05034 (2017)
DOI 10.21272/jnep.9(5).05034
PACS Number(s) 81.70.Jb, 68.55.ag, 61.05. – a
Keywords Secondary Neutral Mass Spectrometry, Depth Profiling, PbTe (3) , Sputtering (24) , Re-deposition.
Annotation Peculiarities of depth profiling of PbTe crystals by Ar plasma with energy of 350 eV at the conditions of Secondary Neutral Mass Spectrometry originated from the crystal growth environment are presented. The crystals grown from vapor phase and from melt by the Bridgman method were studied. The natural faceted surface corresponding to the crystallographic plane of high symmetry (100), the natural lateral surfaces of crystal ingots, and the surfaces processed mechanically during cutting of the crystals were profiled. Nucleation, growth, and re-sputtering of the arrays of micro- and nanoscopic surface structures on the sputtered surfaces as a result of re-deposition of sputtered Pb and Te atoms were observed. It was determined that the growth environment of the PbTe crystal surfaces has a strong effect on nucleation and growth of the surface micro- and nanostructures in the conditions of continuous surface bombardment by Ar ions during depth profiling. This does not prevent the correct determination of the composition of the studied objects via the analysis of the composition of sputtered phase, if sputtering continues for at least 5-10 minutes.

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