Accurate Determination of the Matrix Composition Profile of Hg1–xCdxTe by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

In this report, we present a new secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analysis technique to provide accurate Cd composition profiles based on the measurement of HgCs⁺ and CdCs⁺ cluster ions. Study of Hg_1–x Cd _x Te samples with different x values shows that x/(1 − x) is linearly proportional to HgCs⁺/CdCs⁺ over the range of x = 0.2 to x = 0.9. This technique allows us to obtain an accurate Cd profile for a multilayer HgCdTe sample with different x values for each layer using a single standard with known x value. (Received 10/15/06; accepted 2/14/07)