SUPPRESSION OF ALSB OXIDATION WITH HYDROCARBON PASSIVATION LAYER INDUCED BY MEV-HE+ IRRADIATION

A very thin hydrocarbon coating layer of at most a few monolayers indu ced by the electronic scattering of MeV-He+ ion-beam irradiation effec tively and completely suppresses oxidation of the compound semiconduct or AlSb, which is liable to be oxidized by mere exposure to air, becau se of the coating layer's hydrophobic property. Of the many kinds of h ydrocarbons, alkyl and phenyl groups are particularly effective for ox idation suppression. The AlSb oxidation mechanism and oxidation suppre ssion mechanism are discussed.