High-accuracy analysis of nanoscale semiconductor layers using beam-exit Ar-ion polishing and scanning probe microscopy

Robson, Alex and Grishin, Ilja and Young, Robert and Sanchez, A. M. and Kolosov, Oleg and Hayne, Manus (2013) High-accuracy analysis of nanoscale semiconductor layers using beam-exit Ar-ion polishing and scanning probe microscopy. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 5 (8). pp. 3241-3245. ISSN 1944-8244

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Abstract

A novel method of sample cross-sectioning, beam-exit Ar-ion cross-sectional polishing, has been combined with scanning probe microscopy to study thin AlxGa1-xAs/GaAs layers. Additional contrast enhancement via a citric acid/hydrogen peroxide etch allows us to report the observation of layers as thin as 1 nm. Layer thickness measurements agree with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) data to 0.1 ± 0.2 nm, making this a very promising low-cost method for nanoscale analysis of semiconductor heterostructures.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Journal or Publication Title:

ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

Additional Information:

“This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/am400270w

Uncontrolled Keywords:

/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2500/2500

Subjects:

?? scanning probe microscopy cross-sectional analysissemiconductor nanostructure layers transmission electron microscopynanoscale metrologyselective etchinggeneral materials sciencematerials science(all) ??

Departments:

Faculty of Science and Technology > Physics

ID Code:

63292

Deposited By:

ep_importer_pure

Deposited On:

08 Apr 2013 15:30

Refereed?:

Yes

Published?:

Published

Last Modified:

09 May 2025 23:36

URI:

https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/63292