Investigation of the effect of argon ion beam on CdZnTe single crystals surface structural properties

Scanning Electron microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy were used to investigate the effect of argon ion bombardment on the surface of CdZnTe crystal structural morphology. The sample was irradiated by defined doses of 5 keV argon ions. We observed sudden increase of the surface roughness at low doses. After irradiation by higher doses up to 1.4 × 1016 ions/cm2, the surface showed smoothening. This value proved to be optimal for oxidized damaged layer removal and surface smoothening. AFM analysis confirmed lowest roughness of the surface. Higher values of ion fluences caused increasing roughness and waviness of the surface and creation of craters on the surface. The XPS analysis showed no preferential removal of Cd, Zn or Te by used ion irradiation doses. The sputter rate stabilized from ion fluences higher than 7 × 1015 Ar+ ions/cm2. The possible origin of this craters and their cross-like alignment is explained.