Fine structure in the time of flight distribution of C2 in laser produced plasma from graphite

Time resolved optical emission spectroscopy is employed to study the expansion dynamics of C₂ species in a graphite plasma produced during the Nd : YAG ablation. At low laser fluences a single peak distribution with low kinetic energy is observed. At higher fluences a twin peak distribution is found. It has been noted that these double peak time of flight distribution splits into a triple peak structure at distances ≥17mm from the target surface. The reason for the occurrence of multiple peak is due to different formation mechanisms of C₂ species.     

Near-critical nanosecond laser-induced phase explosion on graphite surface

Optical reflectivity, removal rate and ablative recoil pressure magnitudes were measured as a function of laser fluence during high-power UV nanosecond laser ablation of graphite. At low fluences only melting and weak surface vaporization of molten carbon were observed. At moderate fluences there is a very narrow fluence interval where the reflected fluence starts to saturate, while the removal rate and ablative recoil pressure rise drastically in a correlated manner, indicating the onset of a near-critical surface phase explosion. Then, at higher fluences the reflected fluence, removal rate and recoil pressure saturate with an appearance of a luminous plume, altogether indicating negligible specular reflectance and absorbance on the target surface due to its complete screening by the highly-absorbing laser plume. The overall strong correlation between the removal rate and recoil pressure magnitudes may indicate rather quasi-continuous removal of the near-critical superheated molten carbon layer by a propagating unloading wave in the absence of a crucial sub-surface temperature maximum in the layer.     

Effect of helium implantation on SiC and graphite

Effects of helium implantation on silicon carbide(SiC) and graphite were studied to reveal the possibility of SiC replacing graphite as plasma facing materials. Pressureless sintered SiC and graphite SMF-800 were implanted with He+ions of 20 ke V and 100 ke V at different temperatures and different fluences. The He+irradiation induced microstructure changes were studied by field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM), atomic force microscopy(AFM), and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).     

Structural properties of femtosecond laser-induced modifications in LiNbO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

Structural modifications induced by femtosecond laser pulses in LiNbO₃ were studied. The influence of the processing and focusing parameters was investigated. Two different types of modifications could be identified. High laser fluences cause a refractive index decrease, material damage and stresses in the surrounding crystalline lattice. At low laser fluences, an extraordinary index increase was observed that allows for optical waveguiding. This kind of modification is thermally unstable and correlates to a weak distortion of the lattice. The electrooptic coefficient measured in a waveguide was found to be substantially reduced. The mechanisms underlying the structural modifications are discussed. PACS 61.80.Ba; 77.84.Dy; 42.82.Et; 42.65.Re     

Preferential etching of ion-bombarded GaAs

Ion bombardment of GaAs above fluences of the order of 2 × 10¹³ 400-keV Xe-ions/cm² produces a highly strained surface which is elevated several hundred Angstroms above the adjacent masked surface. The irradiated area etches rapidly to yield circular etch pits ～ 0.3 μ in depth and 0.2 μ in diameter. At lower fluences, observations show much less expansion, slower crystalline etching, and some evidence of triangular etch pits and slip planes. These results are attributed to expansion in the implanted layer which results in high surface strain and the generation of dislocations to accommodate the mismatch of lattice parameters.     

Evolution of the deposition rate during pulsed laser deposition of hydroxyapatite coatings and its relation with target morphology

The evolution of the deposition rate during pulsed laser deposition of hydroxyapatite coatings with a KrF excimer laser was studied. This evolution was related to the changes produced on the target morphology during laser irradiation. Laser fluences in the 1.0–5.2 J/cm² range, typical for the deposition of hydroxyapatite coatings, were investigated. Deposition rates were measured through a quartz-crystal microbalance, and the target surface was observed by scanning electron microscopy. At the lowest fluences, the deposition rate decreases as the number of pulses increases. At the same time, a cone structure is developed on the target surface. At the highest fluences, the deposition rate increases with the number of pulses. In this case, the target surface becomes rough but cones are not formed. In all cases, an enlargement of the effective irradiated area results. This enlargement produces the effect of fluence dilution and also an increase of the emitting area. These opposite effects could account for the different evolutions found for the deposition rate. At low fluences the effect of fluence dilution would predominate over the increase of the emitting area, and at high fluences the second effect would predominate over the first. Received: 28 September 2000 / Accepted: 4 October 2000 / Published online: 10 January 2001     

Low energy excitations in graphite: The role of dimensionality and lattice defects

In this paper, we present a high resolution angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) study of the electronic properties of graphite. We found that the nature of the low energy excitations in graphite is particularly sensitive to interlayer coupling as well as lattice disorder. As a consequence of the interlayer coupling, we observed for the first time the splitting of the π bands by ≈0.7 eV near the Brillouin zone corner K. At low binding energy, we observed signatures of massless Dirac fermions with linear dispersion (as in the case of graphene), coexisting with quasiparticles characterized by parabolic dispersion and finite effective mass. We also report the first ARPES signatures of electron-phonon interaction in graphite: a kink in the dispersion and a sudden increase in the scattering rate. Moreover, the lattice disorder strongly affects the low energy excitations, giving rise to new localized states near the Fermi level. These results provide new insights on the unusual nature of the electronic and transport properties of graphite.     

X-ray study of molecular oxygen adsorbed on graphite

We have performed a detailed X-ray diffraction study of O₂ adsorbed on UCAR-ZYX and Le Carbon Lorraine vermicular exfoliated graphite between 15 and 50 K. At least four phases of physisorbed oxygen are found. The monolayer δ phase consists of a centered parallelogram lattice, with the molecular axes parallel to the graphite surface. The data are consistent with a triple point at 26 K. The melting transition at a coverage of one monolayer appears to be first order. At higher coverages the molecules undergo a lying-down to standing-up transition; the higher coverage ζ phase froms an approximately triangular lattice with the molecular axes perpendicular to the graphite surface. Satellite peaks around the (1, 0) Bragg peak indicate, however, that this cannot be a simple triangular lattice; possible explanations include successively incommensurate layers or a sinusoidal density modulation. For coverages in the two-layer region the ζ phase modulation peaks disappear at 37 K, and at 40 K the adsorbed oxygen appears to undergo a first order melting transition into a fluid phase. With increasing coverage, the 2D X-ray diffraction profiles and phase boundaries do not connect smoothly onto those of the 3D α and β phases. At low temperatures (T < 30 K) the ζ phase always coexists with bulk crystallites; for temperatures near the 2D melting transition the 3D peaks are not observable. These data, taken together with the heat capacity results, suggest a wetting transition with only the bilayer lamellar phase or bulk O₂ being stable at low temperatures.     

Argon and krypton ion-induced changes in permalloy thin films

The effects of 75-keV Ar and 100-keV Kr ion irradiations of 72-nm thin DC-sputtered permalloy (Ni₈₁Fe₁₉) films on Si(100) wafers were studied at fluences of up to 10¹⁶ ions/cm². The changes of the structural and magnetic properties were measured via X-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, and magneto-optical Kerr effect. The irradiations increase the lattice constant and improve the crystallinity of the samples. They induce also strong changes of the magnetic polarisation and the coercive field for increasing ion fluence. The hysteresis loops suggest that, with increasing ion fluence, the reversal of the magnetisation changes gradually from rotation-dominated in the as-deposited films to domain-wall-motion dominated at the highest ion fluences. The results are compared with those obtained for Ni-, Cr-and Xe-ion irradiated permalloy films.     

Direct observation of laser-induced crystallization of a-C:H films

The post-growth modification of diamond-like amorphous hydrogenated carbon a-C:H films by laser treatment has been studied by transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. a-C:H films grown on Si substrates by benzene decomposition in a rf glow discharge were irradiated with 15 ns pulses of a KrF-excimer laser with fluences in the range of E=50–700 mJ/cm². At fluences below 100 mJ/cm² an increase in the number of graphitic clusters and in their ordering was evidenced from Raman spectra, while the film structure remained amorphous according to electron microscopy and electron diffraction observations. At higher fluences the appearance of diamond particles of 2–7 nm size, embedded into the lower crystallized graphitic matrix, was observed and simultaneously a progressive growth of graphite nanocrystals with dimensions from 2 nm to 4 nm was deduced from Raman measurements. The maximum thickness of the crystallized surface layer (400 nm) and the degree of laser annealing are limited by the film ablation which starts at E>250 mJ/cm². The laser-treated areas lose their chemical inertness. In particular, chemical etching in chromium acid becomes possible, which may be used for patterning the highly inert carbon films.     

金属包裹体的变化及对人造金刚石强度的影响

 当温度超过1 000 ℃时，人造金刚石中的金属触媒包裹体，在形态、结构和成份上都将发生改变，并且这种变化会在金刚石晶格内造成尺寸更大的缺陷区域，因此在表面氧化不起决定性作用的情况下，金属触媒包裹体的这种变化，就成了导致金刚石强度下降的最直接的原因。我们对在氩气保护下、不同温度处理的一系列人造金刚石样品进行了强度测量，并用SEM、X射线衍射及光学显微镜等手段观测了金刚石断裂表面上的包裹体及其形态变化。我们的实验结果证实了上述结论。我们还发现，金属触媒包裹体的存在极大地影响着金刚石的热稳定性，它们使金刚石在1 000 ℃左右即可向石墨转化。     

250 keV He+ 离子注入钽酸锂改性研究

室温下,将能量为250 keV He+ 离子注入z 切钽酸锂单晶,注量范围5.0x1014~5.0x1016 He+/cm2,应用三维轮廓仪、X射线衍射(XRD)、紫外可见(UV-Vis ) 光学吸收谱对未注入和注入样品进行了表征和分析。分析结果表明,在注量达到5.0x1016He+/cm2 时,样品表面出现大量凸起条纹,同时晶格沿着[001] 方向出现明显肿胀,吸收边则表现出明显的注量相关性。注入样品在空气中放置60 d后,最高注量的样品表面原来凸起的条纹变为细长的裂纹,晶格应变及光学吸收边均出现较大的恢复。讨论了样品表面形貌、晶格应变和光学吸收边与He 行为的关系。The effects of 250 keV He + implantation in the fluence from 5.0x1014 to 5.0x1016 He+/cm2 on lithium tantalate at room temperature were investigated by 3D surface profiler, XRD and UV-Vis optical absorption spectroscopies.The experimental results show that a large number of raised stripes appear on the surface of the sample and the significant lattice swelling occurs along the direction [ 001 ] at the fluence of 5.0x1016 He+/cm2. The dependence of changes absorption edge on the fluences was revealed. After the samples had been exposed to the air for 60 days, the raised stripes on the surface have evolved into narrow cracks. Furthermore, the lattice strain and the optical absorption edge has also recovered dramatically. The relationship between surface morphology, lattice strain, optical absorption edge and behaviorof He-ions was discussed.     

Optical transmittance spectroscopy of concentric-shell fullerenes layers produced by carbon ion implantation

Concentric-shell fullerenes, also called carbon onions, produced by carbon ion implantation into silver thin films, and subsequently deposited on a silica substrate, were studied by optical transmission spectroscopy in the wavelength range 0.2 - 1.2 μm. In this interval, the strongest absorption is due to the π-plasmon of sp²-like carbon. The position of the plasmon absorption band clearly evolved from 265 nm at low fluence to 230 nm at high implantation fluences. A simulation of the optical spectra based on dielectric models of the concentric-shell fullerenes layer allowed us to identify the first peak as due to disordered graphite and the latter to the carbon onions. The concentration of residual graphite and the filling fraction of the carbon onions produced at high fluences could be estimated by fitting the optical spectra with computed transmittance curves. Received 13 July 2000     

Effects of the deep ion-induced modification of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite

The capabilities of in situ ion-electron emission monitoring of the effects of deep modification for surfaces of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite at high ion irradiation fluences and determining the threshold radiation damage level of these effects are demonstrated experimentally.     

Graphite格子光子晶体带隙的数值模拟

采用平面波展开法模拟计算了由锗圆柱构成的Graphite格子二维光子晶体的带隙结构,发现由空气背景中的介质柱构成的二维Graphite格子结构的光子晶体具有完全光子带隙,并得到了使完全带隙最大化的结构参数。数值计算结果表明,Graphite结构二维光子晶体在填充比从f=0.058到f=0.605连续变化的很大范围内都有完全带隙出现,在低能区出现了Δ=0.053(ωa/2πc)的较大带隙。     

Modelling the formation of nanostructures on metal surface induced by femtosecond laser ablation

We employ the particle-in-cell method to simulate the mechanisms of femtosecond (fs) laser interactions with a metallic target. The theoretical approach considers the solid as a gas of free electrons in a lattice of immobile ions and the laser fluences close to the ablation threshold. At first moments of the interaction, our simulations mapped out different nanostructures. We carefully characterized the rippling phase and found that its morphology is dependent on the distribution of the electron density and the period of the ripples depends on the laser intensity. The simulation method provides new insights into the mechanisms that are responsible for surface grating formation.     

Effect of Fe-ion implantation doping on structural and optical properties of CdS thin films

We report on effects of Fe implantation doping-induced changes in structural, optical, morphological, and vibrational properties of cadmium sulfide thin films. Films were implanted with 90 keV Fe⁺ ions at room temperature for a wide range of fluences from 0.1×10¹⁶ to 3.6×10¹⁶ ions cm⁻² (corresponding to 0.38–12.03 at.% of Fe). Glancing angle X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the implanted Fe atoms tend to supersaturate by occupying the substitutional cationic sites rather than forming metallic clusters or secondary phase precipitates. In addition, Fe doping does not lead to any structural phase transformation although it induces structural disorder and lattice contraction. Optical absorption studies show a reduction in the optical band gap from 2.39 to 2.17 eV with increasing Fe concentration. This is attributed to disorder-induced band tailing in semiconductors and ion-beam-induced grain growth. The strain associated with a lattice contraction is deduced from micro-Raman scattering measurements and is found that size and shape fluctuations of grains, at higher fluences, give rise to inhomogeneity in strain.     

Few-layer graphene film fabricated by femtosecond pulse laser deposition without catalytic layers

The films of few-layer graphene are formed through laser exfoliation of a highly ordered pyrolytic graphite(HOPG), without a catalytic layer for the growth process. The femtosecond(fs) laser exfoliation process is investigated at different laser fluences and substrate temperature. For fs laser exfoliation of HOPG, the few-layer graphene is obtained at 473 K under an optimal laser fluence. The formation of few-layer graphene is explained by removal of intact graphite sheets occurred by an optimal laser fluence ablation. The new insights may facilitate the controllable synthesis of large area few-layer graphene.     

Irradiation of solid C60 films with pulsed UV-laser-light: Fabrication of a periodic submicron C60 structure and transformation of C60 into a different carbon phase

A thin solid C₆₀ film has been irradiated under a fix incident angle with pulsed UV light at the wavelength of 266 nm. With scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, a surface transformation of the irradiated films has been observed to a periodic surface structure at low laser fluences in air as well as in vacuum and to strong morphology changes at higher laser fluences only in air. For both structural transformations the occuring surface chemistry has been studied with Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In the case of the periodical lines, these results in addition to a detailed discussion of the existing models for laser induced surface structures have shown that the C₆₀ film remains a van der Waals solid but with much oxygen incorporation in the lattice and does not polymerize as it is known to happen during continuous wave irradiation. The case of strong morphology changes could be explained by detailed comparison of the obtained Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data as the formation of a new carbon phase with diamond-like sp³ bondings through an oxygen-assisted fullerene cage opening.