Effect of ion implantation dose on the interdiffusion of GaAs-AlGaAs interfaces

Experimental results of enhanced interdiffusion of GaAs-AlGaAs interfaces are reported. These are obtained by implanting Ar ions at doses ranging from 2×1013 to 5×1014 cm−2 into heterostructure samples followed by rapid thermal annealing at 950 °C for 30 s. The degree of intermixing decreases from the surface up to the projected ion range and is a function of the implantation dose. It is postulated that this variation results from the coalescence of some of the excess vacancies into extended defects, which are then unavailable to assist in the enhanced interdiffusion process. By assuming that the concentration of mobile vacancies at any depth is proportional to the ion’s electronic energy loss and inversely proportional to the ion’s nuclear energy loss, the calculated intermixing results are shown to be in good agreement with the experimental data.