Analyses of surface preparation, anodic oxidation, and epitaxial layers of GaAs using nuclear backscattering

Backscattering of 4He-ions is used to study the surface disorder and the surface contamination after various chemical-mechanical polishing procedures and storage conditions. The surface disorder and the ratio between Ga and As atoms in the surface are studied after anodic oxidation on substrate samples and samples with epilayers. A deviation from stoichiometry is observed around the epilayer-substrate interface and is also caused by the anodic oxidation process itself. (author)