Impact Features Induced by Single Fast Ions of Different Charge-State on Muscovite Mica

Abstract

The influence of the charge state q on surface modifications induced by the impact of individual fast, heavy ions on muscovite mica was investigated. Beams of 593 MeV 197Auq+ with well-defined initial charge states over a relatively broad range of values (30 to 51) and at different irradiation geometries were used. At normal incidence, the impact features are rounded protrusions (hillocks) with ≳20 nm in diameter. At grazing angles, besides the hillocks, craters and elongated tails (up to 350 nm-long) extending along the direction of ion penetration are produced. It is shown that the impact features at normal incidence depend strongly on the initial charge state of the projectiles. This dependence is very weak at grazing angles as the ion reaches the equilibrium charge state closer to the surface. At normal ion incidence, the hillock volume scales with q3.3±0.6. This dependence stems largely from the increase in the hillock height, as a weak dependence of the diameter was observed.

Charge State Effects in Swift-Heavy-Ion-Irradiated Nanomaterials

“…Finally, no effects of the ion charge state were found in the ion tracks observed in CaF and SiO 2 nanocrystals with TEM. Thus, it appears that recrystallisation is a more important process relevant for the near-surface variation in ion track sizes observed by the TEM [46][47][48], although this might not always be the case [49][50][51][52]. In future searches for evidence of the charge state-related effects in ion tracks within the near-surface region, experimental conditions should be tuned to (1) the vicinity of the ion track threshold (when electronic stopping might be just below the track formation threshold when SHI is not fully equilibrated) or (2) very high ion energies (when the charge state equilibration distance is comparable to the depth of the near-surface region where recrystallisation is suppressed).…”

Modification of SiO2, ZnO, Fe2O3 and TiN Films by Electronic Excitation under High Energy Ion Impact

“…(TEM) by Fleischer et al [3,4], in oxides (SiO 2 -quartz, Al 2 O 3 , ZrSi 2 O 4 , Y 3 Fe 5 O 12 , high-Tc superconducting copper oxides, etc.) (TEM) by Meftah et al [5] and Toulemonde et al [6], in Al 2 O 3 crystal (atomic force microscopy, AFM) by Ramos et al [7], in Al 2 O 3 and MgO crystals (TEM and AFM) by Skuratov et al [8], in Al 2 O 3 crystal (AFM) by Khalfaoui et al [9], in Al 2 O 3 crystal (high resolution TEM) by O'Connell et al [10], in amorphous SiO 2 (small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS)) by Kluth et al [11], in amorphous SiO 2 (TEM) by Benyagoub et al [12], in polycrystalline Si 3 N 4 (TEM) by Zinkle et al [13] and by Vuuren et al [14], in amorphous Si 3.55 N 4 (TEM) by Kitayama et al [15], in amorphous SiN 0.95 :H and SiO 1.85 :H (SAXS) by Mota-Santiago et al [16], in epilayer GaN (TEM) by Kucheyev et al [17], in epilayer GaN (AFM) by Mansouri et al [18], in epilayer GaN and InP (TEM) by Sall et al [19], in epilayer GaN (TEM) by Moisy et al [20], in InN single crystal (TEM) by Kamarou et al [21], in SiC crystal (AFM) by Ochedowski et al [22] and in crystalline mica (AFM) by Alencar et al [23]. Amorphization has been observed for crystalline SiO 2 [5] and the Al 2 O 3 surface at a high ion fluence (though the XRD peak remains) by Ohkubo et al [24] and Grygiel et al [25].…”