X-ray diffraction investigation of diffusion in PbTe-PbSe superlattices

Diffusion intermixing in PbTe-PbSe epitaxial superlattice was investigated with help of the double-crystal X-ray diffractometry. Diffusion coefficients were defined for different annealing temperatures from the regular fading of satellites intensities on the X-ray diffraction patterns in the course of annealing. Theoretical grounds and computational treatment of experimental data are presented. Diffraction patterns have been simulated by numerical solution of the Takagi-Taupin equation and calculated curves were fitted to experimental ones accounting the superlattice profile smoothing due to diffusion. Diffusion coefficients determined by both procedures are in a good agreement. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.