Ion synthesis of copper nanoparticles in sapphire and their modification by high-power excimer laser pulses: A review

Abstract

Composite layers made in sapphire by implantation of 40-keV Cu+ ions at a dose of 1 × 1017 cm−2 and an ion beam current density varying from 2.5 to 10 μA/cm2 are studied. It is shown that ion implantation makes it possible to synthesize a composite layer containing copper nanoparticles at the surface of the insulator. However, the nanoparticle size distribution in this layer is nonuniform. The composite layer is exposed to high-power excimer laser radiation with the aim of modifying the size and size distribution of the metal nanoparticles in it. The resulting structures are examined by Rutherford backscattering, optical reflection spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. It is found that the laser irradiation diminishes copper nanoparticles in the composite layer. Experimental data on laser modification may be explained by photofragmentation and/or melting of the nanoparticles in the sapphire matrix under the action of nanosecond laser pulses.