MeV oxygen ion implantation induced compositional intermixing in AlAs/GaAs superlattices

We present in this letter an investigation of compositional intermixing in AlAs/GaAs superlattices induced by 2 MeV oxygen ion implantation. The results are compared with implantation at 500 keV. In addition to Al intermixing in the direct lattice damage region by nuclear collision spikes, as is normally present in low‐energy ion implantation, Al interdiffusion has also been found to take place in the subsurface region where MeV ion induced electronic spike damage dominates and a uniform strain field builds up due to defect generation and diffusion. Uniform compositional intermixing of the superlattices results after subsequent thermal annealing when Al interdiffusion is stimulated through recovery of the implantation‐induced lattice strain field, the reconstruction and the redistribution of lattice defects, and annealing of lattice damage.