THE INSB(100) SURFACE CHANGE DURING THE ARGON ION-BOMBARDMENT AND THEELECTRON-STIMULATED OXIDATION

Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) and Electron Energy Loss spectroscop y (EELS) have been used to study the cleaning of InSb(100) by argon io n bombardment. ion beam etching of the InSb(100) surface is performed at low energy (500 eV), normal incidence and with a 2 mu A cm(-2) curr ent density. EELS spectra are recorded at the primary energy (E(p) = 2 50 eV), for different incidence angles, defined between the incident e lectron beam direction and the surface. Thus, the InSb(100) surface ch ange is monitored by the EELS technique, which indicates that argon io n bombardment forms small In islands on the top layers of the material . EELS, associated with AES, reveals the electron stimulated oxidation on the InSb(100) surface in vacuum under a partial pressure of oxygen at about 10(-8) Pa. The oxide is thought to be an indium oxide.