XPS analysis of surface compositional changes in InSb Bi 1yx x 111/ due to low-energy Arq ion bombardment

Surface compositional changes induced by multistep 0.2–1.0 keV Arq ion bombardment and subsequent annealing of the single crystalline 111.InSb1yxBix x(0.005.epitaxial layer have been studied for the first time by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy XPS.. Application of Arq ion beam with energy F0.5 keV produced only a slight increase of the SbrIn concentration ratio above 1.0. On the other hand, 1 keV Arq bombardment was found as the most efficient preparation step which led to the removal of the surface oxide identified here as Sb2Ox., severe reduction of surface carbon content, but also to a decrease of SbrIn ratio towards anion deficiency SbrIn-0.8.. Subsequent short time anneal at 3108C became sufficient to reach nearly stoichiometric SbrIn ratio in the surface region. Final XPS measurements of the sputter-cleaned and annealed surface revealed that admixing of Bi into InSb does not shift the binding energies of Sb 3d and In 3d core-levels of the host compound. The binding energy of Bi 4f in InSb1yxBixwas found to be the same as in elemental Bi. q2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved