Trends of Sputtering Parameters in Monte Carlo Simulations of Rare Gas Impingement of GaSb, AlSb and InSb

Abstract

Binary alloys of Group III-V metals and metalloids, such as GaSb, InSb and AlSb, were recently found to be very promising spintronic materials. For such potentially innovative materials, the quantum spin properties of constituent electrons can be exploited, for better enhanced high-tech applications, than the particulate dynamics of the electrons as in current electronic device applications. Ion beam surface sputtering is a versatile tool for crystal and thin film growth in materials science and characterisation. Consequently, trends of some sputtering parameters were investigated through Monte Carlo simulations of the bombardment of the binary compounds GaSb, InSb and AlSb using Argon, Helium and Krypton ions. The sputtering parameters for the binary compounds were found to be inconsistent as the angle of incidence increased, which occurred for different ion and energy combinations. Also, the maximum sputtering yield did not occur at a particular angle but within a range of values, 65° -85° and 75°- 85° for ion energies 1keV and 10keV respectively. The sputtering yield was also found to increase with an increase in the ion energy.