Investigation of Ar ion-milling rates for ultrathin single crystals

Here we report the Ar-ion milling rates of ultrathin Si and GaAs single crystals. The thickness change is measured using convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED) technique with the help of Bloch wave simulation method. This study suggests the experimental procedures to determine the references for an etching rate to reduce a sample thickness or to remove the damaged sample surface using Ar-ion source.