Defect structure and intermixing of ion-implanted Al<inf>x</inf>Ga <inf>1-x</inf>As/GaAs superlattices

Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy have been used to study the defect structure and intermixing of annealed ion-implanted Al0.3Ga0.7As/GaAs superlattices. The results show clearly that the amount and depth of superlattice layer intermixing depends on the ion mass. In superlattices that retain their structure after implantation and annealing, the distribution of defect clusters (primarily interstitial loops) is inhomogeneous; most defect clusters are nucleated in the GaAs layers. Examination of unannealed superlattice samples reveals that ion beam damage occurs preferentially in the GaAs layers.