Preparation and Characterization of InAs/Si Composite Film

Composite thin films consisting of nanosized InAs particles embedded in amorphous Si matrices were prepared by radio frequency co-sputtering of InAs and Si. X-ray diffraction spectra show that the particle size of InAs increases with the increasing annealing temperature, while the particle sizes of In and As reach their maximum values at the temperature of 200^oC, and decrease with the further increase of the annealing temperature. In and As can not exist in the 500^oC sample due to the sublimation of In and As the reaction In + As →InAS. The composition of the film in different levels was analyzed. We found that only in the deep level, the mole contents of As and In conform to the stoichiometric ratio and the oxidation occurs only a few nanometers from the surface. We believe that the scarcity of In and As near the surface is due to the sublimation of In and the oxide of As.