In the last decades, Low Energy Ion beam Sputtering (LEIS) has become a very interesting tool for modifying surface properties in semiconductors and many other materials. In addition, it has also been demonstrated the possibility to create nanopatterns on different materials [1,6] by using LEIS.

CdTe is a II-VI compound semiconductor which presents a wide range of technologically important applications, like Gamma and X ray detectors (XRDs).

In this work we show that LEIS is a very efficient technique as a cleaning process for CdTe substrates. We demonstrate, by using several techniques like grazing-angle X-ray diffraction, Cathodoluminescence, microluminescence and micro-Raman spectroscopy, that the luminescent properties of CdTe substrates can be very much increased when CdTe surfaces are irradiated with low energy Argon ions.  We postulate that this enhancement is mainly due to the removal of surface damage induced by the cutting and polishing processes.

[1] S. Facsko, T. Dekorsy, C. Koerdt, C. Trappe, H. Kurz, A. Vogt, H.L. Hartnagel, Science 285 (1999) 1551.

[2] J.L. Plaza, Bárbara Capote, E. Diéguez, Surf. & Coat. Technol. 201 (2007) 8456–8462.

[3] J.L. Plaza, E. Diéguez, Sol. Stat. Ion. 178 (2007) 1576–1584.

[4] J. L. Plaza, P. Hidalgo and E. Diéguez, J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 61 (2007) 942–948.

[5] J. Olvera, O. Martínez, J.L.Plaza and E.Diéguez, J. Lumin. 129 (2009) 941–944.

[6] J.L. Plaza, O. Martínez , S. de Dios, J. Olvera, E. Diéguez J. Cryst. Growth 312 (2010) 64–67.