Microstrip structures of ZnO nanoparticle aggregates of millimetric length formed by selected-area ion implantation and thermal oxidation.
Regularly arrayed microstrip regions of width approximately 1.4 microm and length extending up to approximately 5 mm, consisting of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) of diameter approximately 50 nm, were fabricated on silica substrates by a two-step process: i.e., selected-area ion implantation and thermal oxidation. The implantation of 60 keV Zn ions in periodic microstrip regions via a resist mask generated periodic grooves with large wings on the surface of silica glass, which can be ascribed to the radiation-induced plastic deformation of silica and sputtering loss. This is the lowest record of the electronic energy loss (S(e)) value to induce the radiation-induced plastic deformation of silica, while no or very low threshold energy has been predicted from a recent study. After thermal oxidation at 700 degrees C for 1 h, the groove structures with the wings disappeared, and periodic microstrips of ZnO nanoparticle aggregates up to 5 mm long appeared on the surface of the substrate. A clear free-exciton peak due to ZnO NPs is observed from these microstrip structures both in optical absorption and photoluminescence spectra.
Amekura
H
H
Quantum Beam Centre, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. amekura.hiroshi@nims.go.jp
Wang
H-S
HS
Hishita
S
S
Pan
J
J
Kishimoto
N
N
Buchal
Ch
Ch
Mantl
S
S