Riti Sethi; Anver Aziz; G.B.V.S. Lakshmi; D.K. Avasthi; Azher M. Siddiqui
Abstract
Thin films of indium oxide grown on quartz substrates were subjected to 100 MeV Ag 9+ and O 7+ ions irradiation. The pristine and swift heavy ions irradiated films were characterized using X-ray Diffraction, Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry, Scanning Electron Microscopy and UV-Vis Spectroscopy ...
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Thin films of indium oxide grown on quartz substrates were subjected to 100 MeV Ag 9+ and O 7+ ions irradiation. The pristine and swift heavy ions irradiated films were characterized using X-ray Diffraction, Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry, Scanning Electron Microscopy and UV-Vis Spectroscopy to examine the effect of irradiation with ions having large difference in the values of electronic energy loss (Se) on the structural, microstructural and optical properties of indium oxide thin films. XRD and SEM studies revealed deterioration in crystallinity along with decrease in both crystallite size and grain size upon irradiation with both Ag 9+ and O 7+ ions. However, the decrease in the crystallite size and grain size in comparison to the pristine film was more radical for irradiation with Ag 9+ ions. RBS spectra suggest that the electronic sputtering in the indium oxide films due to SHI irradiation is very less. AFM images illustrate the decrease in surface roughness from 29.8 nm for the pristine film to to 27.4 nm and 26.7 nm on irradiation with 100 MeV O 7+ and Ag 9+ ions at a fluence of 3.3×10 13 ions/cm 2 . Also, UV-Vis study revealed an increment in the value of optical band gap from 3.41 eV for the pristine film to 3.53 and 3.67 eV for indium oxide films irradiated with of 3.3×10 13 ions/cm 2 fluence of O 7+ and Ag 9+ ions respectively. The irradiation induced structural and optical modifications have been explained using the Thermal spike model. Along with the structural and optical properties, sensing properties of the pristine and irradiated films for 100 ppm methane gas at an operating temperature of 300 o C have also been examined and the results have been correlated with the induced structural modifications.
Priyadarshini Dash; Haripriya Rath; Udai B. Singh; Sunil Ojha; Devesh K. Avasthi; Naresh C. Mishra
Abstract
Two sets of gold thin films of thickness of about 20 and 50 nm, grown by thermal evaporation method on (100) silicon wafers were irradiated by 197 MeV Au ions. Grazing incidence X-Ray diffraction (GIXRD) study has been revealed lattice expansion on decreasing the film thickness. 197 MeV Au ion irradiation ...
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Two sets of gold thin films of thickness of about 20 and 50 nm, grown by thermal evaporation method on (100) silicon wafers were irradiated by 197 MeV Au ions. Grazing incidence X-Ray diffraction (GIXRD) study has been revealed lattice expansion on decreasing the film thickness. 197 MeV Au ion irradiation was not affect either the cubic crystal structure of gold or its lattice parameter. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) study indicated that the evolution of the surface morphology with ion fluence crucially depended on the film thickness, the thinner film being more sensitive than the thicker one. Irradiation led to nanoparticles formation on the surface of the films. This observation is in contrast to the generally perceived damaging role of swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation. Power spectral density analysis of the roughness along both the lateral and vertical directions demonstrated dominance of surface diffusion over volume diffusion induced by SHI irradiation. A comparison of the sputtering yield obtained from Rutherford back scattering (RBS) spectra of the irradiated films and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the particles sputtered from the films and collected by a catcher grid during irradiation indicated that more than the surface and volume diffusion processes, it is the irradiation induced sputtering that controls the overall surface morphology of the films. The surface roughness increase with ion fluence and the irradiation induced sputtering yield was found to be larger in thinner films. Film thickness dependence of the evolution of surface morphology and sputtering yield with 197 MeV Au ion irradiation clearly indicates the dominance of the electronic energy loss over the nuclear energy loss of the projectiles ions in the target medium and opens up the ways for examining the applicability of different models of ion-matter interaction in systems with reduced dimensions.