Electron irradiation effects in amorphous antimony thin films obtained by cluster-beam deposition

Abstract

In order to understand the differences existing between films obtained with a classical molecular beam deposition (MBD) and the new low-energy cluster beam deposition (LECBD), transmission electron microscopy has been used to characterize the first stages of antimony LECBD. Antimony deposits are discontinuous and amorphous up to 2nm in thickness. They are formed with isolated amorphous antimony particles surrounded by an amorphous antimony oxide shell. Moreover, under electron beam exposure in the microscope, an amorphous-crystal transformation has been observed in the oxide shell. Electron irradiation induces the formation of a crystallized antimony oxide (Sb₂O₃) around the amorphous antimony core.