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The influence of different CdZnTe substrate treatments prior to II-VI molecular beam epitaxial growth on surface stoichiometry, oxygen, and carbon contamination has been studied using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and reflection high energy electron diffraction. Heating the substrate at 300 °C can eliminate oxygen contamination, but cannot completely remove carbon from the surface. Heating at higher temperatures decreases the carbon contamination only slightly, while increasing the Zn-Cd ratio on the surface considerably. The magnitude of the latter effect is surprising and is crucial when one is using lattice matched CdZnTe (Zn 4%) substrates.
The surface sublimation of Cd and Te atoms from the zinc blende (111)A CdTe surface has been investigated in detail by reflection high energy electron diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These experiments verify that Te is much easier to evaporate than Cd. The experimental value for the Te activation energy from a Te stabilized (111)A CdTe surface is 1.41 ±0.1O eV, which is apparently inconsistent with recent theoretical results.
We have investigated oxygen on CdTe substrates by means of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). A Te oxide layer that was at least 15 A thick was found on the surface of as-delivered CdTe substrates that were mechanically polished. This oxide is not easily evaporated at temperatures lower than 350°C. Furthermore, heating in air, which further oxidizes the CdTe layer, should be avoided. Etching with HCI acid (15% HCl) for at least 20 s and then rinsing with de-ionized water reduces the Te oxide layer on the surface down to 4% of a monoatomic layer. However, according to XPS measurements of the 0 Is peak, 20%-30% of a monoatomic layer of oxygen remains on the surface, which can be eliminated by heating at temperatures ranging between 300 and 340 cC. The RHEED patterns for a molecular beam epitaxially (MBE)-grown CdTe film on a (lOO) CdTe substrate with approximately one monoatomic layer of oxidized Te on the surface lose the characteristics of the normal RHEED pattems for a MBE-grown CdTe film on an oxygen-free CdTe substrate.
We report the results of a detailed investigation on the Te-stabilized (2 x 1) and the Cdstabilized c( 2 X 2) surfaces of ( 100) CdTe substrates. The investigation demonstrates for the first time that both laser illumination and, to a greater extent, high-energy electron irradiation increase the Te desorption and reduce the Cd desorption from ( 100) CdTe surfaces. Thus it is possible by choosing the proper growth temperature and photon or electron fluxes to change the surface reconstruction from the normally Te-stabilized to a Cd-stabilized phase.