The influence of Ar+and Cd+ ion implantation on the composition and electronic structure of monocrystalline zinc telluride

The effect of Ar⁺ and Cd⁺ ion implantation and subsequent thermal annealing has been studied on a single-crystal ZnTe (111) using a whole range of spectroscopy methods: ultraviolet photoelectron one (UPS), light absorption one, and Auger electron one (AES). The results showed that bombardment of the surface with Ar⁺ and Cd⁺ ions with an energy of E₀ = 1 keV until a saturation dose of of D_sat = (6−8)·10¹⁶cm^-2 was reached resulted in the destruction of the crystal structure of the ion-implanted layers and, as a consequence, in surface metallization. In particular, after implantation with Cd⁺ ions and subsequent annealing at T = 850 K, the formation of a homogeneous continuous Zn_0.5Cd_0.5Te film 30−35 Å thick was observed, which indicated the redistribution of components and the formation of a new phase state on the ZnTe surface. The results of the study of Zn_0.5Cd_0.5Te thin films demonstrate the presence of two clearly defined maxima in the valence electron spectra corresponding to binding energies of -1.4 eV and -5.2 eV.