High-Accuracy Analysis of Nanoscale Semiconductor Layers Using Beam-Exit Ar-Ion Polishing and Scanning Probe Microscopy

A novel method of sample cross sectioning, beam-exit Ar-ion cross-sectional polishing, has been combined with scanning probe microscopy to study thin Al x Ga1‑x As/GaAs layers. Additional contrast enhancement via a citric acid/hydrogen peroxide etch allows us to report the observation of layers as thin as 1 nm. Layer thickness measurements agree with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) data to 0.1 ± 0.2 nm, making this a very promising low-cost method for nanoscale analysis of semiconductor heterostructures.