Morphology of PbTe crystal surface sputtered by argon plasma under Secondary Neutral Mass Spectrometry conditions

We have investigated morphology of the lateral surfaces of PbTe crystal samples grown from melt by the Bridgman method sputtered by Ar+ plasma with ion energy of 50-550 eV for 5-50 minutes under Secondary Neutral Mass Spectrometry (SNMS) conditions. The sputtered PbTe crystal surface was found to be simultaneously both the source of sputtered material and the efficient substrate for re-deposition of the sputtered material during the depth profiling. During sputtering PbTe crystal surface is forming the dimple relief. To be redeposited the sputtered Pb and Te form arrays of the microscopic surface structures in the shapes of hillocks, pyramids, cones and others on the PbTe crystal sputtered surface. Correlation between the density of re-deposited microscopic surface structures, their shape, and average size, on the one hand, and the energy and duration of sputtering, on the other, is revealed.