Ion-beam damage to quartz crystals

Solid phase epitaxial regrowth of ion beam-amorphized α-quartz

“…[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] In order to control the optical and electrical properties of ␣-quartz by ion implantation, a good knowledge of the thermal stability of the radiation-induced defects and the disordered phase is required, and effective procedures for defect recovery and recrystallization need to be developed. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] In order to control the optical and electrical properties of ␣-quartz by ion implantation, a good knowledge of the thermal stability of the radiation-induced defects and the disordered phase is required, and effective procedures for defect recovery and recrystallization need to be developed.…”

Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy study of 1.5 MeV Kr+ irradiation-induced amorphization in α-quartz

“…2͑b͒. After a fluence of 1.7ϫ10 13 ions/cm 2 , the amorphous layer has grown toward the surface, and it spans across a depth range of 400-900 nm, with the presence of a crystalline-dominated zone on the near-surface portion of the specimen ͓Fig. 2͑c͔͒.…”

“…Figure 6 presents a set of XTEM micrographs showing that amorphization proceeds toward both the top surface and the interior regions of the quartz crystal under continued irradiation at room temperature. After a fluence of 3.4ϫ10 13 ions/cm 2 , the amorphization front is at a depth of ϳ950 nm, and the upper crystalline portion of the specimen that was observed at a lower fluence ͑e.g., 1.7ϫ10 13 ions/cm 2 ), has been fully amorphized ͓Fig. 6͑a͔͒.…”

“…This facility consists of a modified Kratos/AEI EM7 high-voltage electron microscope ͑HVEM͒ and a 2 MeV tandem ion accelerator. 15 The seven quartz disks for XTEM were irradiated with 1.5 MeV Kr ϩ ions at room temperature, to the following fluences: 1.7ϫ10 12 , 8.5ϫ10 12 , 1.7ϫ10 13 , 3.4ϫ10 13 , 5.1 ϫ10 13 , 8.5ϫ10 13 , and 1.7ϫ10 14 , ions/cm 2 . Several prethinned transmission electron microscopy ͑TEM͒ samples were also irradiated with 1.5 MeV Kr ϩ ions using the HVEM-Tandem Facility with in situ TEM observations.…”

“…[9][10][11] Amorphization can also be induced by displacement cascade processes by the heavy ion irradiation of quartz. 12,13 For the energetic charged particles, energy loss is mainly through both ionization and elastic collision processes. The two types of energy loss of energetic ions in solids are both depth dependent, as is the damage distribution.…”