Atom probe tomography of hyper-doped Ge layers synthesized by Sb in-diffusion by pulsed laser melting

Hyper-doped Ge layers synthesized by Sb in-diffusion by pulsed laser melting have been analyzed by Atom Probe Tomography (APT). The 1D concentration profiles obtained by APT under low field conditions are consistent with those obtained by secondary ion mass spectrometry. However, the 3D distribution of Sb indicates the occurrence of Sb segregation along line defects, outside of which Sb is randomly distributed. The APT measurements indicate a dependence of the measured composition on the electric field. By analyzing the mass spectra and the multiple detection events, we show that low-field conditions should be adopted in order to obtain an accurate composition measurement.