Ion milling was used to convert molecular beam epitaxial vacancy-doped CdxHg1–xTe from p-type to n-type. Electron beam-induced current and remote electron beam-induced current measurements were used to study the pn junction depth and lateral extension dependence upon the milling time, milling current and vacancy concentration. The conversion depth was found to be a linear function of the milling time and current, and was inversely proportional to the vacancy concentration in layers which were thinner than 10µm. This suggested that filling of the Hg vacancies in this region during conversion was limited by the rate of supply of extra Hg arising from milling. The lateral extension also increased linearly with the milling time; the ratio of the lateral extension to the depth being equal to about 0.5. Remote electron beam-induced currents at the top surface could be used to determine the junction depth.

Depth and Lateral Extension of Ion Milled pn Junctions in CdxHg1–xTe from Electron Beam Induced Current Measurements. R.Haakenaasen, T.Moen, T.Colin, H.Steen, L.Trosdahl-Iversen: Journal of Applied Physics, 2002, 91[1], 427-32