Study of porous III–V semiconductors by electron spectroscopies (AES and XPS) and optical spectroscopy (PL): Effect of ionic bombardment and nitridation process

Electron spectroscopy (AES and XPS) and photoluminescence analysis (PL) were used to study porous layers elaborated by electrochemical etching of p-GaAs and n-InP substrates. Surface characterizations have been performed on the as received porous substrates, ions bombarded and nitridated porous layers. Porous surfaces of GaAs(1 0 0) and InP(1 0 0) have been compared after different treatments: Argon ion bombardment and nitridation with a glow discharge source (GDS) in UHV. These processes have been followed by Auger measurements (AES). The effects of the bombardment and the nitridation of porous InP were studied. The PL investigations of the porous GaAs layer show visible and infrared photoluminescence bands. Quantum confinement in the nanocrystallites of GaAs formed by electrochemical etching can explain the luminescence of the porous GaAs layers.