Advanced techniques for characterization of ion beam modified materials

Abstract

Keywords:Rutherford backscattering spectrometry Raman spectroscopy X-ray diffraction Small-angle X-ray scattering Positron annihilation spectroscopy Ion beam modification a b s t r a c t Understanding the mechanisms of damage formation in materials irradiated with energetic ions is essential for the field of ion-beam materials modification and engineering. Utilizing incident ions, electrons, photons, and positrons, various analysis techniques, including Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), electron RBS, Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution X-ray diffraction, small-angle X-ray scattering, and positron annihilation spectroscopy, are routinely used or gaining increasing attention in characterizing ion beam modified materials. The distinctive information, recent developments, and some perspectives in these techniques are reviewed. Applications of these techniques are discussed to demonstrate their unique ability for studying ion-solid interactions and the corresponding radiation effects in modified depths ranging from a few nm to a few tens of lm, and to provide information on electronic and atomic structure of the materials, defect configuration and concentration, as well as phase stability, amorphization and recrystallization processes. Such knowledge contributes to our fundamental understanding over a wide range of extreme conditions essential for enhancing material performance and also for design and synthesis of new materials to address a broad variety of future energy applications.

Highly Selective Ionic Transport through Subnanometer Pores in Polymer Films

“…To fit the intensity distribution and gain structural parameters, a hard‐cylinder model (before UV illumination) and a core–shell cylinder model (after UV illumination) were used. Details on the SAXS measurements and models can be found in previous studies …”

Interaction of low-energy muons with defect profiles in proton-irradiated Si and 4H -SiC

“…There also exist a variety of particle beam methods which use ion beams for the acquisition of defect profiles. Although most of them are destructive techniques, there also exist some nondestructive methods such as Rutherford backscattering spectrometry [38] or positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS). The latter is sensitive to vacancy-like defect concentrations in the range from 10 15 to 10 19 cm −3 [39].…”

Synergy of inelastic and elastic energy loss: Temperature effects and electronic stopping power dependence

“…Electronic effects are of significant importance in a wide variety of fields where high energy irradiation processes take place, including nuclear applications, the semiconductor industry, material synthesis, modification and characterization [1,2]. The importance of the coupling of electronic and atomic processes in ionic and covalent materials has been emphasized in recent studies [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]1], where it has been shown that these effects can have linearly additive [3][4][5][6][7][8] or competing [9][10][11] impacts on the defect production.…”

“…We find temperature dependence of the ion track size. We also find a threshold in the electronic energy loss for a given pre-existing defect concentration, which indicates a threshold in the synergy between the inelastic and elastic energy loss.Ó 2015 Acta Materialia Inc. All rights reserved.Electronic effects are of significant importance in a wide variety of fields where high energy irradiation processes take place, including nuclear applications, the semiconductor industry, material synthesis, modification and characterization [1,2]. The importance of the coupling of electronic and atomic processes in ionic and covalent materials has been emphasized in recent studies [3-15,1], where it has been shown that these effects can have linearly additive [3][4][5][6][7][8] or competing [9-11] impacts on the defect production.…”