Characterization of the Microstructure of HgCdTe with p-Type Doping

Nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony ions were implanted in Hg0.3Cd0.7Te (MCT) layers under the same implantation conditions. An identical annealing process was then applied to these layers to eradicate implantation damage and to activate the impurities. Implantation damage was investigated by direct visualization, by use of bright-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (BF-STEM). Secondary-ion mass spectrometry was used to investigate impurity diffusion on annealing. The combination of these two techniques revealed the significant effect of structural implantation damage on the diffusion process. Annealed layers were then investigated by high-resolution STEM imaging and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy in STEM (STEM-EDX). This approach enables direct visualization and, therefore, further description of arsenic and antimony-rich nanocrystals.