Nano-Structuring Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin Films with Electron Beam

The interaction of As(Ge)xSe 100-x amorphous films with an electron beam have been studied. The films were irradiated with an electron beam of a Tescan VEGA scanning electron microscope. The primary electrons energy was 30 keV. The irradiated surface of the films was scanned using a Bruker atomic force microscope, model ICON. It has been found that nanostructuring of the surface of chalcogenide films occurs under the action of an electron beam. The electron beam induces surface reliefs of various shapes in the irradiated region of the films, depending on the dose of electron irradiation. It is shown that the formation and change in the surface relief shape in chalcogenide films occurs due to a continuous change in the parameters of the space charge region. A two-layer charge model is used to explain the phenomenon of nanostructuring of the surface of chalcogenide films under the electron beam irradiation.