Univ. Grenoble Alpes, F-38000, CEA LETI, MINATEC Campus, Grenoble, France, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LTM, Grenoble, France

Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is a well-adapted analytical method for the chemical characterization of concentration profiles in layered or multilayered materials. However, under ion beam bombardment, initially smooth material surface becomes morphologically unstable. This leads to abnormal secondary ion yields and depth profile distortions. In this contribution, we explore the surface topography and roughening evolution induced by O2 + ion bombardment on GaSb/InAs multilayers. We demonstrate the formation of nanodots and ripples patterning according to the ion beam energy. Since the latter are undesirable for ToF-SIMS analysis, we managed to totally stop their growth by using simultaneously sample rotation and oxygen flooding. This unprecedented coupling between these two latter mechanisms leads to a significant enhancement in depth profiles resolution. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.

Depth profiling, III-V heterostructures, Ion beam sputtering, Surface patterning, ToF-SIMS

Characterization, Chemical analysis, Depth profiling, Floods, Gallium compounds, Ion beams, Mass spectrometry, Multilayers, Organic polymers, Oxygen, Secondary emission, Secondary ion mass spectrometry, Sputtering, Surface topography, Chemical characterization, Concentration profiles, Ion-beam sputtering, Multilayered materials, Self-organized surfaces, Surface patterning, Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, ToF SIMS, Ion bombardment