Effect Of Ion Beam Irradiation Research Articles

Enhanced ferromagnetism by ion irradiation for substitutionally cobalt doped ZnO films

3 at.% Co doped sol-gel derived films were irradiated with 800 keV Ar ion beam. The studied films were un-irradiated and irradiated with fluences 5 × 1014, 2.5 × 1015 and 1016 ions/cm2. The films were characterized structurally (X-ray diffraction [XRD]), morphologically (Field Induced Scanning Electron Microscopy), optically (UV–visible, Raman spectroscopy and Photoluminescence [PL] measurements), magnetically (field and temperature dependent magnetization measurements) and electronically via local structure study (X-ray Absorption spectroscopy [XAS]). XAS data were interpreted in X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANEX) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) measurements. XRD patterns show single-phase wurtzite structure of the films and indicate presence of defects. Raman spectra confirm single-phase structure of the films and indicate slight structural degradation in highest fluence irradiated film. The high substitutional incorporation of Co2+ at Zn2+ site was demonstrated from UV–visible spectra by d-d transition. The analysis of XANES and EXAFS spectra strongly reconfirms further the proper substitutional incorporation of Co2+ at Zn2+ site. All films are intrinsically ferromagnetic. The substantial enhancement of ferromagnetism (2.5 fold) has been observed upon irradiation (highest fluence) and it has been interpreted in terms of defects as evidenced from PL measurement. Hence the effect of Ar ion beam irradiation is highly enhanced ferromagnetism and proper Co substituted ZnO film.

Dense electronic excitation induced modifications in nanocrystalline zirconium oxide thin films: Detailed analysis of optical and surface topographical

Ion irradiation is known to create structural disorder and crystallization improvement in the material. In the present study, focus is on the effect of high energy ion beam irradiation on the optical, surface morphological and structural properties of ZrO2 thin films of 200 nm grown on Si and glass substrate by RF sputtering technique. The prepared thin films were annealed at 600 °C and irradiated with swift heavy ions (SHI) of 120 MeV Ti9+ ion beam with varied fluences ranging from 5E11 to 2E13 ions/cm2. SRIM simulation reveals that the electronic energy losses (Se) dominate over the nuclear energy losses (Sn) and the projected range of the Ti ions was found to be 13.64 μm. Optical properties were studied by using UV-Vis and Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The transmittance of the ZrO2 samples lies in the range of (46–79%) and the Tauc's plot was used to calculate the optical band gap. PL spectroscopy demonstrates the emission spectrum using the excitation wavelength of 310 nm. The influence of SHI irradiation on the surface morphology of ZrO2 thin films was examined by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The sectional analysis of AFM images reveals that the grain size decreases with increasing the ion fluences and lies in the range of 51-29 nm. The structural analysis of pristine and irradiated samples was done by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The crystallite size increases for the lower fluence up to 1E12 ions/cm2 and decreases at higher fluence due to the development of fragmentation by the effect of SHI irradiation. XRD patterns were used to calculate strain, stress, dislocation density and texture coefficient of the ZrO2 samples. Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) ensures the presence of Zr and O elements with the atomic fraction of 1: 2 and thickness (200 nm) of the samples was confirmed by simulating the RBS spectrum. The modifications induced in the properties of the ZrO2 thin films were mainly due to the electronic energy losses through the inelastic collision in the target material.

Effects of high-intensity pulsed ion beam irradiation on the structural thermal stability of Fe80Si7.43B12.57 metallic glass

A high-intensity pulsed ion beam was used to irradiate Fe80Si7.43B12.57 metallic glass at different energy densities and numbers of pulses to study its structural thermal stability. A large number of round holes and a few bumps appeared on the surface of the glass after 300 pulses. No obvious damage was observed on the surface after irradiation at different energy densities. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed that this irradiation had a strong influence on the near-surface atomic arrangement of the glass. Irradiation induced strong migration and aggregation of atoms within the glass, causing an uneven atomic arrangement. Although there was an ordered arrangement of atoms, the metallic glass remained amorphous. The surface reflectivity of the metallic glass decreased slightly after irradiation. The number of irradiation pulses had greater impact on this Fe-based metallic glass than their energy density.

Biological effects of ion beam irradiation on perennial gentian and apple.

The development of new varieties of perennial plants generally requires lengthy and laborious procedures. In this study, we used ion beam irradiation mutagenesis in an attempt to accelerate the breeding process for perennial plants. We evaluated the biological effects of five ion beam sources (carbon, neon, argon, silicon, and iron) and neutron irradiation on Japanese gentian and apple. These treatments were applied at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) using the Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC) and the Neutron-exposure Accelerator System for Biological Effect Experiments (NASBEE). Biological effects were observed in in vitro gentian plants after irradiation with ion beams at <10 Gy, whereas apple trees were less sensitive to ion beam irradiation. The growth of gentians in vitro was repressed by 3 Gy neutron irradiation, while that of grafted apple trees was not affected by 4 Gy neutron irradiation. During in vitro proliferation, seven pink-flowered lines were obtained from originally blue-flowered gentian after C and Ne ion beam irradiation treatments. Genomic and reverse transcription-PCR analyses of these lines suggested that the mutations occurred in the genomic region containing F3'5'H (encoding flavonoid 3',5'-hydroxylase). These results provide useful information for the mutagenesis and breeding of gentian, apple, and other perennial plants.

Effect of carbon ion-beam irradiation on graphene oxide film

The effect of Carbon ion beam on graphene oxide film (GO) is investigated using X-ray diffraction, Raman microscopy and Fourier Transform Infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy. It is shown that defects were created in GO and water molecules detached from GO layer as evident from X-ray diffraction, Raman microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. Theoretical simulations were performed using different parameters and concluded that the maximum lattice temperature raised (574 K) by ion beam irradiation was below the annealing and melting temperature of GO.

Effect of heavy ion beam irradiation on germination of local Toraja rice seed (M1-M2) mutant generation

Local rice in general has several weaknesses among others, long life, high plant posture and low yield result. The character is a limiting factor that causes farmers low interest to grow local rice. It is feared this will cause the lack of local rice cultivars as germplasm materials. Therefore, there is an effort to create a diversity of morphological characters, as the character of selection, especially related to the age of harvest and plant posture. One method is through breeding mutation by irradiation using ion beam. The objective of this research is to evaluate seed germination resulted after irradiation using ion beam in two varieties of Toraja local rice. The study was prepared based on a randomized block design pattern consisting of six treatments by testing two local Toraja rice varieties namely Pare Ambok and Pare Lea treated with ion beam irradiation of Argon and Carbon ion and control plant as comparison. Each grain from one panicle was germinated in one line method on a Ø15 cm Petri dish and transplanted into small plastic bags. Each treatment was repeated as much as 20 times which was then considered as a strain. The results showed that irradiation using Argon ion in local rice seed of Pare Ambok variety and of Pare Lea varieties produce better seedlings sprouts than irradiation using Carbon ion. Further M2 seed germination shows uniqueness in some seedlings produced such as lighter leaf color, albinism, wrinkled leaf, etc. which could prove potential mutant lines in tested M2 lines seed.

Hardness Enhancement of and an Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Film by Using Nitrogen Ion-Beam Irradiation

By irradiating a nitrogen ion beam onto an organic-inorganic hybrid coating film, we studied the physical characteristics of the film, such as its hardness, transparency and conductivity. The organic-inorganic hybrid coating film was prepared and irradiated using a nitrogen ion beam. The effect of nitrogen ion-beam irradiation on the properties of the organic-inorganic hybrid coating film was explored by using UV-Vis spectroscopy. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), and nanoindentation measurements and so on. Using the pencil hardness and nanoindentation measurements, we analyzed the mechanical surface properties and showed the feasibility of developing a robust substrate for organic flexible displays.

Effects of high-energy ion-beam irradiation on structural and optical properties of (Mg0.95Co0.05)TiO3 thin films

ABSTRACTWe report the structural and optical properties of high-energy ion-beam irradiated Co-doped magnesium titanate thin films. (Mg0.95Co0.05)TiO3 (MCT) thin films were deposited on quartz substrates using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. Subsequently, the films were annealed for crystallinity and were irradiated with 100 MeV Ag ions by varying the ion fluence. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the films before and after the irradiation were refined using the Rietveld refinement and the variations in the lattice parameters were correlated with the ion fluence. Although, annealing of thin films results in an enhancement in refractive index and optical bandgap, the ion fluence induces significant changes in the refractive index and optical bandgap. Atomic force microscopy is employed to study the surface morphology of the films. The impact of ion fluence on structural and optical properties of MCT thin films has been investigated.

Tuning the electronic properties of LaAlO3 / SrTiO3 interfaces by irradiating the LaAlO3 surface with low-energy cluster ion beams

We have investigated the effects of low-energy ion beam irradiations using argon clusters on the chemical and electronic properties of LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (LAO/STO) heterointerfaces by combining X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrical transport measurements. Due to its unique features, we show that a short-time cluster ion irradiation of the LAO surface induces indirect modifications in the chemical properties of the buried STO substrate, with (1) a lowering of Ti atoms oxidation states (from Ti4+ to Ti3+ and Ti2+) correlated to the formation of oxygen vacancies at the LAO surface and (2) the creation of new surface states for Sr atoms. Contrary to what is observed by using higher energy ion beam techniques, this leads to an increase of the electrical conductivity at the LAO/STO interface. Our XPS data clearly reveal the existence of dynamical processes on the titanium and strontium atoms, which compete with the effect of the cluster ion beam irradiation. These relaxation effects are in part attributed to the diffusion of the ion-induced oxygen vacancies in the entire heterostructure, since an increase of the interfacial metallicity is also evidenced far from the irradiated area. These results demonstrate that a local perturbation of the LAO surface can induce new properties at the interface and in the entire heterostructure. This study highlights the possibility of tuning the electronic properties of LAO/STO interfaces by surface engineering, confirming experimentally the intimate connection between LAO surface chemistry and electronic properties of LAO/STO interfaces.

Synthesis and characterization of graphene quantum dots and their size reduction using swift heavy ion beam

ABSTRACTGraphene quantum dots (GQDs) are nanosized fragments of graphene displaying quantum confinement effect. They have shown to be prepared from various methods which include ion beam etching of graphene. However, recently the modification of the GQDs has garnered tremendous attention owing to its suitability for various applications. Here, we have studied the effect of swift ion beam irradiation on the properties of GQDs. The ion beam treatment on the GQDs exhibited the change in observed photoluminescence of GQDs as they exhibited a blue luminescence on excitation with longwave UV (≈365 nm) due to the reduction in size and removal of the ethoxy (–C–O–C–) groups present on the quantum dots. This was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, particle size analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Nano-beam and nano-target effects in ion radiation.

Full three dimensional (3D) simulations of ion implantation are necessary in a wide range of nanoscience and nanotechnology applications to capture the increasing effect of ion leakage out of surfaces. Using a recently developed 3D Monte Carlo simulation code IM3D, we first quantify the relative error of the 1D approach in three applications of nano-scale ion implantation: (1) nano-beam for nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center creation, (2) implantation of nanowires to fabricate p-n junctions, and (3) irradiation of nano-pillars for small-scale mechanical testing of irradiated materials. Because the 1D approach fails to consider the exchange and leakage of ions from boundaries, its relative error increases dramatically as the beam/target size shrinks. Lastly, the "Bragg peak" phenomenon, where the maximum radiation dose occurs at a finite depth away from the surface, relies on the assumption of broad beams. We discovered a topological transition of the point-defect or defect-cluster distribution isosurface when one varies the beam width, in agreement with a previous focused helium ion beam irradiation experiment. We conclude that full 3D simulations are necessary if either the beam or the target size is comparable or below the SRIM longitudinal ion range.

Comparative study of gamma and ion beam irradiation of polymeric nanocomposite on electrical conductivity

ABSTRACTPoly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was used to prepare nanocomposites of multi‐wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and functionalized carbon nanotubes (MWCNT‐NH2) in existence of 2‐carboxyethyl acrylate oligomers (CEA). Radiation‐induced crosslinking of the prepared matrix was carried out via gamma and ion beam irradiation. A comparative study of gamma and ion beam irradiation effect on the electrical conductivity of nanocomposite was conducted. The gelation of the gamma irradiated matrix outperforms the ion beam irradiated matrix. The order of gelation is PVA &gt; (PVA/CEA) &gt; (PVA/CEA)‐MWCNT &gt; (PVA/CEA)‐MWCNT‐NH2. There is a significant reduction in the swelling of the nanocomposite. The formation of nanocomposites was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray (EDX) and FTIR examinations. The direct current electrical properties of PVA/nanocomposites are examined at room temperature by applying electric voltage from 1 to 20 V. The results revealed that the electrical conductivity is increased by adding the carbon nanotubes and irradiation by gamma and ion beam. At an applied electric voltage 20 V, in the electrical conductivity of the unirradiated PVA was from 9.20 × 10−8 S cm−1. After adding MWCNT an increase up to 4.70 × 10−5 S cm−1 was observed. While after ion beam irradiation, a further increase up to 9.30 × 10−5 S cm−1 was noticed. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46146.

Corrigendum to “Effects of Ion Beam Irradiation on Nanoscale InOx Cooper-Pair Insulators”

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Effect of ion-beam irradiation on the epitaxial growth of graphene via the SiC surface decomposition method

We used scanning tunneling microscopy, low-energy electron diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy to investigate the growth of graphene on 3C-SiC(111)/SiO2/Si(111) surfaces with ion-beam irradiation via the SiC surface decomposition method. We were unable to obtain graphene after annealing the 3C-SiC(111) surface at 1100 °C for 3 min without Ar+ ion-beam irradiation. When a 3C-SiC(111) surface was irradiated with an Ar+ ion beam at an acceleration voltage of 1 keV and an incident angle of 80° and subsequently annealed at 1100 °C for 3 min, graphene formed on the SiC surface. However, when an Ar+ ion beam was used at an incident angle of 70 or 60°, graphene layers were not formed. These results indicate that the breakage of bonds in the surface region of the SiC(111) substrate by ion-beam irradiation promotes the formation of graphene.

Swift heavy ion irradiation induced modifications in structural, microstructural, electrical and magnetic properties of Mn doped SnO2 thin films

In this paper, we have presented the effect of swift heavy ion beam irradiation on the structural, microstructural, electrical and magnetic properties of Sn0.9Mn0.1O2 thin films. The structural and electrical results have been interpreted by using properties of native or point defects, whereas the magnetic and morphological variations have been explained in terms of the conductivity of material. Efforts have been made to summarize the properties of all possible charged and neutral point defects (VSn4-,Sni4+,VO0,Oi2-,SnO4+,OSn2-,HO+) and afterwards from the correlation between experimentally-observed and theoretically-calculated results various interesting conclusions have been drawn.

Free residual DC voltage for nematic liquid crystals on solution-derived lanthanum tin oxide film

ABSTRACTWe present the liquid crystal (LC) alignment properties of solution-derived lanthanum tin oxide (LaSnO) films cured at various temperatures and exposed to ion-beam (IB) irradiation. Using a solution process, LaSnO films were deposited on the indium-tin-oxide glass substrates and IB irradiation was used as an alignment method. Homogeneous and uniform LC alignment was achieved and observed by cross-polarised optical microscopy. Pre-tilt angle results with low standard deviation supported the notion of uniform LC alignment. The LaSnO film cured at 300°C showed nearly zero capacitance–voltage hysteresis. The change of the surface morphology of the LaSnO film due to IB irradiation was observed by atomic force microscopy. The effects of IB irradiation on the LC alignment layer were further demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The strong IB irradiation broke the metal–oxide bonds present, which in turn induced an increased number of oxygen vacancies on the whole surface. Uniform LC alignment was attributed to surface reformation and van der Waals forces.

Characterization of amylolytic enzyme overproducing mutant of Aspergillus luchuensis obtained by ion beam mutagenesis.

Aspergillus luchuensis is a kuro (black) koji fungus that has been used as a starch degrader for the awamori- and shochu-making industries in Japan. In this study, we investigated the effect of ion beam irradiation on A. luchuensis RIB2601 and obtained a high starch-degrading mutant strain U1. Strain U1 showed reduced growth rate, whereas it showed higher α-amylase, glucoamylase, and α-glucosidase activities on a mycelial mass basis than the wild type (wt) strain both on agar plates and in rice koji. In addition, strain U1 showed higher N-acetylglucosamine content in the cell wall and higher sensitivity to calcofluor white, suggesting a deficiency in cell wall composition. Interestingly, produced protein showed higher expression of acid-labile α-amylase (AmyA) and glucoamylase (GlaA) in strain U1, although real-time RT-PCR indicated no significant change in the transcription of the amyA or glaA gene. These results suggested that the high amylolytic activity of strain U1 is attributable to a high AmyA and GlaA production level, but the elevated production is not due to transcriptional regulation of the corresponding genes. Furthermore, RNA-seq analysis indicated that strain U1 shows transcriptional changes in at least 604 genes related to oxidation-reduction, transport, and glucosamine-containing compound metabolic processes, which may be involved in the deficient cell wall composition of strain U1.

Effects of ion beam irradiation on size of mutant sector and genetic damage in Arabidopsis

Size of mutant sector and genetic damage were evaluated in Arabidopsis to further our understanding of effective ion beam use in plant mutation breeding. Arabidopsis seeds, heterozygous for the GLABRA1 (GL1) gene (GL1/gl1-1), were irradiated with 15.8MeV/u neon ions (mean linear energy transfer (LET): 352keV/μm), 17.3MeV/u carbon ions (113keV/μm), or 60Co gamma rays. The frequency and size of glabrous sectors generated because of inactivation of the GL1 allele were examined. The frequency and overall size of large deletions were evaluated based on the loss of heterozygosity of DNA markers using DNA isolated from glabrous tissue. Irrespective of the radiation properties, plants with mutant sectors were obtained at similar frequencies at the same effective dosage necessary for survival reduction. Ion beams tended to induce larger mutant sectors than gamma rays. The frequency of large deletions (>several kbp) increased as the LET value increased, with chromosome regions larger than 100kbp lost in most large deletions. The distorted segregation ratio of glabrous plants in the progenies of irradiated GL1/gl1-1 plants suggested frequent occurrence of chromosome rearrangement, especially those subjected to neon ions. Exposure to ion beams with moderate LET values (30–110keV/μm) is thought effective for inducing mutant sectors without causing extensive genetic damage.

The effect of triple ion beam irradiation on cavity formation on pure EFDA iron

Pure EFDA Iron was irradiated under triple ions beam (Fe + He + H) at 350 °C, 450 °C and 550 °C respectively to a nominal 40 dpa with a uniform He concentration of ∼14 appm He/dpa and H content of ∼50 appm H/dpa at depth between 1 and 2 μm.Cavity characteristics (size, morphology, distribution and population) at each irradiation temperature have been thoroughly studied by TEM using FIB lamellae, showing bubble formation at all irradiation temperatures with several differences between one to another experimental condition. At 350 °C homogeneous distribution of small cavities with sizes in the range of 2–4 μm was observed. However, irradiations at 450 °C and 550 °C led to non-homogeneous distribution of cavities with a wide range of sizes. Additionally, it was detected at these temperatures, preferential nucleation of bubbles within the ferritic grains exhibiting rounded and faceted shapes. Faceted cavities with sizes larger than 16 nm were detected at 450 °C and 550 °C.

A study on the effect of low energy ion beam irradiation on Au/TiO2 system for its application in photoelectrochemical splitting of water

Nanostructured TiO2 thin films were deposited on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate via sol–gel technique and were modified by plasmonic Au layer. The plasmonic Au modified TiO2 (Au/TiO2) thin films were then irradiated with 500keV Ar2+ ion beam at different ion fluences viz. 1×1016, 3×1016 and 1×1017 to study the effect of nuclear energy deposition on the morphology, crystallinity, band gap, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak exhibited by Au particles and photoelectrochemical properties of the system. Prepared thin films were characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) measurements and UV–visible spectroscopy. The photoelectrochemical measurements revealed that both Au/TiO2 and Au/TiO2 thin film irradiated at 1×1016 fluence exhibits enhanced photoelectrochemical response in comparison to pristine TiO2. The film irradiated at 1×1016 fluence offered maximum applied bias photon-to-current efficiency (ABPE) and shows 6 times increment in photocurrent density which was attributed to more negative flat band potential, maximum decrease in band gap, high open circuit voltage (Voc) and reduced charge transfer resistance.