Sputtering rates of lead chalcogenide-based ternary solid solutions during inductively coupled argon plasma treatment

Abstract

In this work investigations of sputtering of monocrystalline (1 1 1)-oriented epitaxial films of semiconductor ternary solid solutions of Pb 1−x Sn x Te (x = 0.00-0.56), Pb 1−x Eu x Te (x = 0.00-0.05), Pb 1−x Sn x Se (x = 0.00-0.07), Pb 1−x Eu x Se (x = 0.00-0.16, x = 1.00), Pb 1−x Sn x S (x = 0.00-0.05) on Si(1 1 1) and BaF 2 (1 1 1) substrates in RF high-density low-pressure inductively coupled argon plasma were carried out. It is determined that sputtering rates for the studied materials retain high values typical for binary solutions PbTe, PbSe, PbS. The results indicate the interrelation of the sputtering rates of ternary compounds and of the sublimation energy of binary compounds that constitute a solid solution. The physical model of this characteristic property of lead chalcogenide-based ternary alloys based on the expansion of a classic Sigmund solid sputtering theory explaining the observed sputtering rate behavior with the alloy composition variation is proposed.

Application of abnormally high sputtering rate of PbTe(Te) single crystals during inductively coupled argon plasma treatment for fabrication of nanostructures

“…Sputtering rates for the test PbTe (111) films on CaF 2 / Si (111) substrates, measured under the same conditions of plasma treatment, were in the range of 15.9 ± 0.7 nm s −1 . This is fully consistent with the data of [18], where under similar processing conditions the sputtering rate of (111) oriented films of lead telluride was 15.1 ± 0.5 nm s −1 . Thus, with the same crystal orientation, the sputtering rate of the PbTe crystals with excess Te of 4 at.% was about 1.6 times higher than the given parameter for PbTe films with a minimal deviation from the stoichiometric composition.…”

“…Plasma sputtering of the surface of the films was performed using a radio-frequency high-density low-pressure inductively coupled plasma (RF ICP) treatment [4,[17][18][19]. Inductive power of the plasma reactor was 800 W, RF bias power at the substrate was 100-300 W, argon flow was 10 sccm, operating pressure was 0.07 Pa.…”

Self-formation of lead telluride nanostructures during argon plasma etching of single-crystal wafers

“…The grown crystals were cut perpendicular to the growth axis in order to obtain disk wafers with the thickness of 3-5 mm, whose surface was polished with diamond paste with chemical polishing finish. Plasma sputtering (dry etching) of the surface of PbTe(Te) disks was performed using a radiofrequency high-density low-pressure inductively coupled plasma (RF ICP) treatment [2][3][4]. Power applied to the inductor of the plasma reactor was 800 W, RF bias power at the substrate was varied in the range of 100-300 W, self-bias negative potential was 85-195 V, argon flow rate was 10 sccm.…”

“…The morphology was studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) using Supra 40 Carl Zeiss microscope and local elemental composition was determined from energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) data using INCAx-act Oxford Instruments spectrometer. [3]. This phenomenon is explained with the defect structure of the PbTe(Te) crystals, since it is known that an excess tellurium atoms in the crystal lattice result in Pb atoms vacancies, which in turn result in a sublimation energy decrease.…”

Investigation of Structural Phase Transition of PbS

“…These semiconductors are widely applied in fundamental information of solid-state electronic device fabrication. In this group of semiconductors, lead chalcogenides PbX (X = S, Se, and Te) are primarily semiconducting materials [1]. Lead chalcogenides are well known to be good materials for thermoelectric due to their low thermoconductivity.…”