Depth-dependent phase change in Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3} epitaxial layers under ion irradiation

Journal Article · Mon Sep 28 04:00:00 EDT 2015 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4932089· OSTI ID:22482165

Mejai, N.; Thomé, L.; Sattonnay, G. ^[1]; Gosset, D. ^[2]; Boulle, A. ^[3]; Dargis, R.; Clark, A. ^[4]

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1. Centre de Sciences Nucléaires et de Sciences de la Matière (CSNSM), Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Bâtiment 108, 91405 Orsay Cedex (France)
2. CEA-Saclay, DEN-DMN-SRMA-LA2M, Gif/Yvette (France)
3. Science des Procédés Céramiques et de Traitements de Surface CNRS UMR 7315, Centre Européen de la Céramique, 12 rue Atlantis, 87068 Limoges (France)
4. Translucent Inc., 952 Commercial St., Palo Alto, California 94303 (United States)

Epitaxial Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3} thin layers with the cubic structure were irradiated with 4-MeV Au{sup 2+} ions in the 10{sup 13}–10{sup 15} cm{sup −2} fluence range. X-ray diffraction indicates that ion irradiation induces a cubic to monoclinic phase change. Strikingly, although the energy-deposition profile of the Au{sup 2+} ions is constant over the layer thickness, this phase transformation is depth-dependent, as revealed by a combined X-ray diffraction and ion channeling analysis. In fact, the transition initiates very close to the surface and propagates inwards, which can be explained by an assisted migration process of irradiation-induced defects. This result is promising for developing a method to control the thickness of the rare-earth oxide crystalline phases.

• OSTI ID: 22482165
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 13 Vol. 107; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CHANNELING
DEPTH
ENERGY ABSORPTION
ENERGY LOSSES
EPITAXY
GADOLINIUM OXIDES
GOLD IONS
IRRADIATION
LAYERS
MEV RANGE 01-10
MONOCLINIC LATTICES
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
RARE EARTHS
SURFACES
THICKNESS
THIN FILMS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION