Cathodoluminescence Microcharacterization of the Irradiation Sensitive Defect Structure of Amorphous Silicon Dioxide

Abstract

Cathodoluminescence (CL) Microscopy (imaging) and Spectroscopy in a Scanning Electron Microscope enables high spatial resolution, high sensitivity detection of defect centers in materials. Cathodoluminescence microanalysis has been used to investigate the irradiation sensitive defect structure of Types I, II, III and IV amorphous silicon dioxide SiO2 (quartz and silica glasses). The CL experiments were performed in a JEOL JSM 35C SEM equipped with Oxford Instruments liquid N and liquid He cryogenic stages, and an Oxford Instruments MonoCL cathodoluminescence imaging and spectral analysis system. The observed CL emissions, were excited with a stationary electron beam at normal incidence and corrected for total instrument response. The corrected CL spectra were fitted with a multiparameter Gaussian function using a non linear least squares curve fitting algorithm and were identified with particular defect structures. The CL emission from high quality pure amorphous silica and quartz glasses is dominated by intrinsic processes (associated with the host lattice). See Table 1.