Photoluminescence and the Raman scattering in porous GaSb produced by ion implantation

Atomic-force microscopy, photoluminescence, and Raman scattering are used to study the formation of the porous layer in ion-implanted GaSb. As the ion dose increases, first a system of hillocks is formed at the GaSb surface and then a porous layer is produced. The height of the step at the boundary between the porous layer and the unirradiated region can be as large as 1 mum. A broad band is observed in the photoluminescence spectrum in the range from 1.1 to 1.65 eV for ion-implanted GaSb; the intensity of this band increases with the ion dose. Additional lines peaked at 111 and 145 cm(-1) are observed in the Raman spectra of porous GaSb. These lines are characteristic of an oxidized semiconductor. The data obtained indicate that the porous layer that formed as a result of ion implantation into GaSb exhibits properties that are characteristic of nanocrystalline systems. (C) 2005 Pleiades Publishing, Inc.