Determination of the range of alpha particles in SSNTD by optical density method

A technique based on the optical density (D) measurement of the etched track is useful for charged particles spectroscopy using SSNTD. It was shown that the stopping power of alpha particles in CR-39 is proportional to D. We measured the optical density and derived an expression to estimate the range of alpha particles in CR-39 detector as a function of the bulk etching rate and etching time. The relation between the etching time, track parameters (depth, radius) and D for different alpha particles energy and etching conditions were studied. A relation describing D as a function of track size is proposed.     

Alpha Spectrometry by Using CN85 Plastic Track Detectors

In the present study the alpha particle response which is characteristic of cellulose nitrate detectors CN85 was investigated The track diameter as a function of alpha energy was examined. With regard to the spectroscopy of alpha from track radii it was stated that the discrimination of lower alpha energies shows better results than the high energies for the present etching condition.     

Projection-patterned etching of silicon in chlorine atmosphere with a KrF excimer laser

The formation of relief features in silicon by a one-step process that avoids resist patterning has been achieved by laser-projection-patterned etching in a chlorine atmosphere. Etching is performed with a pulsed KrF excimer laser (λ=248 nm, τ=15 ns) and deep UV projection optics having an optical resolution of 2 μm. Etching takes place in two steps. Between laser pulses, the silicon surface is covered with a monolayer of chemisorbed chlorine atoms (one Cl per Si). During the laser pulse, surface transient heating at temperatures in excess of 1250 K results in the desorption of the reaction products (mainly SiCl₂). At laser energy densities that induce surface melting, this desorption results in a saturated etch. rate of 0.06 nm per pulse, corresponding to the removal of about 0.5 Si monolayer per pulse. At densities below the melting threshold, reduced thermal and possibly a small amount of photochemical etching result in lower etch rates. Projection of a resolution test photomask onto the silicon surface shows that the size of etched features differs from the size of the projected features and strongly depends on the laser energy density. As a result of the heat spread in silicon and of the highly nonlinear character of the etching reaction, etched features smaller than the irradiated area are obtained at all fluences in the range 350–700 mJ/cm². Etched lines having a width down to about 1.3 μm were produced. Proximity effects due to heat spread were also evidenced for small projected features (<4 μm). The characteristics of the etched patterns are compared with those obtained for GaAs etching in chlorinated gases with the same experimental set-up. Significant differences in pattern resolution for Si and GaAs etching are observed. This variation in resolution is believed to result from the fact that Si has a greater thermal diffusivity than GaAs.     

亚微米尺寸元件的离子束刻蚀制作

采用软光刻技术中的微接触印刷(μCP)技术、表面诱导的水蒸气冷凝、表面诱导的去湿行为,在金基底上制作出了亚微米的环状周期结构聚合物掩膜.通过对离子束刻蚀过程中各个参量对刻蚀元件的表面光洁度、轮廓保真度和线宽分辨的影响分析,结合掩膜的实际情况选择出了合适的离子束入射角、离子能量、束流密度和刻蚀时间等参量.依照这些参量刻蚀出了高质量的亚微米尺寸环状周期结构元件.通过对刻蚀出的元件的检测发现,刻出的元件表面光洁度、轮廓保真度和侧壁陡峭度都非常好.     

Intercomparative study of the detection characteristics of the CR-39 SSNTD for light ions: Present status of the besancon-dresden approaches

For the last few years, the Besançon and Dresden teams have been working in a parallel way on light ion (protons and alphas) registration characteristics for the CR-39 SSNTD. Even if the two groups use different approaches, the main part of both investigations concerns the study of the track etch rate (V_T) and the consequences of the obtained results, which have provided us with greater understanding of detection limits.

After recalling the methods used to determine the V_T from both teams, will show how fundamental datal related to the registration properties of the CR-39 detector can be extracted. Indeed, the knowledge of an analytical relation for the V_T enables the relationship between this velocity and the primary deposited energy to the examined with respect to the same spatial variable (the instantaneous depth of penetration (x) of the incoming particle). According to experimental uncertainties, the Bragg peak of the primary ionization coincides within a very close range with the maximum of the V_T. Moreover, if increasing the etching parameters (C, T) increases the maximum V_T value, these changes do not affect its position with respect to the instantaneous depth of penetration.

Taking into account the reduced etch rate, the Dresden team found that both protons and alphas exhibit the same behavior when this rate is plotted versus the primary energy deposition rate. As a consequence, the corresponding reduced etch rate is always identical no matter what type of particle deposits a given amount of energy (e.g. proton or alpha). The Besançon team has corroborated the results obtained by the Dresden group for alphas and have extended the study to various etching conditions. From these results, the sensitivity of the CR-39 SSNTD is obtained in terms of critical LET and leads to a very low energy threshold for alpha particles. We will see throughout this paper that the lower threshold does not seem to depend on the etching parameters.     

Track recording properties of soda glass detector for accelerated heavy ions

The etch pit diameters of soda glass detector samples exposed to ₅₄ ¹³² Xe-ions of different energies are measured for different etching times after etching the detector in a ‘new etchant’ free of the adverse effect of the etch product layer. The dependence of track diameter on the energy and on the energy loss, dE/dx of ₅₄ ¹³² Xe-ion in soda glass has been presented. The energy resolution of soda glass and the critical angle for etching of fission fragment tracks in glass detectors have also been determined. The maximum etched track length of ₅₄ ¹³² Xe-ion in soda glass has been compared with the theoretical range. The effects of different annealing conditions on bulk etch rate of glass detector and on diameters of ₅₄ ¹³² Xe-ion tracks have been presented. Experimental results show that there is a decrease in track etch rate, etching efficiency and etchable range of ₅₄ ¹³² Xe-ions with annealing. The annealing of oblique tracks shows that the vertical tracks are more stable than the oblique tracks.     

Alpha Particle Response of CR-39 Polycarbonated Detector

The alpha particle response which is characteristic of polycarbonate detectors CR-39 has been investigated. The track diameter as a function of alpha energy in the range from 5.1–22.2 MeV was examined. The mean track diameter or size of the tracks are found to be energy dependent which decreases as alpha energy increases with a trend at about 14 MeV alpha energy. With regard to the spectroscopy of alpha from track radii, it was stated that the discrimination of lower alpha energies shows better results than the high energies for the present etching condition.

Es wurde die charakteristische Wirkung von Alpha-Teilchen auf die Polycarbonatdetektoren CR-39 untersucht. Der Spurendurchmesser als Funktion der Alpha-Energie wurde im Energiebereich 5,1… 22,2 MeV verfolgt. Der mittlere Spurendurchmesser oder die Spurengroβe waren energieabhängig und nahmen mit zunehmender Alpha-Energie bei einem Trend von ungefähr 14 Me V ab. In being auf die Spektroskopie von Alpha-Teilchen von den Spurenradien wurde festgestellt, daβeine Unterscheidung von niederen Alpha-Energien bessere Ergebnisse brachte als solche bei hohen Energien für die vorliegende Ätzbedingung.     

Effect of surface preparation technique on the radiation detector performance of CdZnTe

Synthetic CdZnTe (CZT) semiconducting crystals are highly suitable for the room temperature-based detection of gamma radiation. The surface preparation of Au contacts on surfaces of CZT detectors is typically conducted after (1) polishing to remove artifacts from crystal sectioning and (2) chemical etching, which removes residual mechanical surface damage however etching results in a Te rich surface layer that is prone to oxidize. Our studies show that CZT surfaces that are only polished (as opposed to polished and etched) can be contacted with Au and will yield lower surface currents. Due to their decreased dark currents, these as-polished surfaces can be used in the fabrication of gamma detectors exhibiting a higher performance than polished and etched surfaces with relatively less peak tailing and greater energy resolution.     

Studies on the variation of the track etch rate along alpha particle trajectories in CR-39

At the beginning of the etching process a constant track etch rate can be assumed. In deeper detector layers, however, the etch rate varies drastically along the particle trajectories. Consequently, the indirect determination of the track etch rate by measuring the etch pit diameters on the detector surface does not yield correct results. Therefore, a method for the direct measurement of the track etch rate as a function of the depth within the detector was developed. Applying this method, the relationship between the track etch rate and the energy loss in CR-39/PATRAS could be derived.     

High resolution X-ray studies of porous PbTe layers on silicon substrates

The structure of PbTe films after anodic electrochemical etching in Norr electrolyte is studied by high resolution X-ray diffractometry and reflectometry. Lattice defects before and after etching are estimated. The quantitative parameters of the pores are determined. The advantage of the complex application of high resolution X-ray methods for the determination of the real structure of lead-telluride porous films is shown.     

Low energy alpha particle spectroscopy using CR-39 detector

The possibility of using CR-39 to measure the depth profile of ¹⁰B in Si is analysed. The measuring technique exploits the ¹⁰B(n, )⁷Li nuclear reaction. For this reason the track parameters (size, optical properties) of low energy alpha-particles (<1.47 MeV) were studied. The results showed that an energy resolution of about 100 keV could be obtained by an appropriate selection of etching conditions. The profile of ¹⁰B in Si at a depth as small as 1 μm can be measured.     

Chemically assisted femtosecond laser machining for applications in LiNbO3 and LiTaO3

We introduce and optimize a fabrication procedure that employs both femtosecond laser machining and hydrofluoric acid etching for cutting holes or voids in slabs of lithium niobate and lithium tantalate. The fabricated structures have 3 μm lateral resolution, a lateral extent of at least several millimeters, and cut depths of up to 100 μm. Excellent surface quality is achieved by initially protecting the optical surface with a sacrificial silicon dioxide layer that is later removed during chemical etching. To optimize cut quality and machining speed, we explored various laser-machining parameters, including laser polarization, repetition rate, pulse duration, pulse energy, exposure time, and focusing, as well as scanning, protective coating, and etching procedures. The resulting structures significantly broaden the capabilities of terahertz polaritonics, in which lithium niobate and lithium tantalate are used for terahertz wave generation, imaging, and control. The approach should be applicable to a wide range of materials that are difficult to process by conventional methods.     

Estimation of the capabilities of maskless micropatterning by laser-induced chemical etching

A three-dimensional mathematical model of laser-induced chemical etching of polysilicon films in chlorine atmosphere is presented. The model takes into account both photochemical and thermochemical mechanisms. A numerical solution of a simple process model and consequences for spatial resolution limits of the mask-less laser-induced chemical etching are presented.     

Excimer-laser etching on silicon

Studies have been made of poly- and single Si etching induced by excimer-laser irradiation of the silicon surfaces in halogenated gases. Etching was investigated for different conduction types, impurity concentrations and crystallographic planes. Chlorine atoms accept electrons generated in photoexcited, undoped p-type Si, thus becoming negative ions which are pulled into the Si. However, the n⁺-type Si is etched spontaneously by Cl^– as a result of the availability of conduction electrons. Fluorine atoms, with the highest electronegativity, take in electrons independent of whether the material is n- or p-type. And thus, the easy F^– ion penetration into Si causes spontaneous etching in both types. New anisotropic etching for n⁺ poly-Si is investigated because of its importance to microfabrication technology. Methyl methacrylate (MMA) gas, which reacts with Cl atoms, produces a deposition film on the n⁺ poly-Si surface. The surface, from which the film is removed by KrF (5 eV) laser irradiation, is etched by Cl atoms, while the film remains on the side wall to protect undercutting. However, with the higher photon energy for the ArF (6.4 eV) laser, the Si-OH bonds are broken and electron traps are formed. These electrontrapping centers are easily annealed out in comparison to the plasma-induced centers. Pattern transfer etching for n⁺ poly-Si has been realized using reflective optics. The problems involved in obtaining finer resolution etching are discussed.     

Influence of surface preparation on CdZnTe nuclear radiation detectors

High resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) techniques were used to characterize the surface of CdZnTe (CZT) samples treated by mechanical lapping, polishing and chemical etching processes. The results confirm that the etching process produces the highest intensity diffraction peak, and the best full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM). Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy shows that fine polishing increases the infrared transmission of the CZT sample, while etching with 2% bromine methanol (BM) etching decreases the infrared transmission. Different etchants and concentrations were investigated by comparing the surface morphology and roughness. The bromine methanol etching has shown more flat surface with lower roughness than the other etchants.     

α SPECTROMETER USING CELLULOSE ACETATE NUCLEAR TRACK DETECTOR MADE IN CHINA

By using the method of etching tracks from the reverse side of a plastic SSNTD, the cellulose acetate SSNTD made in China can be used for α spectrometer. The energy resolution for α particles of 5.31—8.78MeV is in the region of 66—90keV. A formula to obtain the α particle ranges in cellulose acetate SSNTD is given. The α particle ranges in it have been measured and compared with the calculated ranges.     

Microstructuring of Si(100) by light induced dry etching in the VUV

Light-induced dry etching of Si(100) in the VUV range using synchrotron radiation (SR) and a halogen-containing gas (XeF₂) has been investigated with respect to selectivity, anisotropy, quantum efficiency, optimal wavelength, spatial resolution and quality of the photochemical etching processes. Microstructuring of Si with XeF₂can be optimized to achieve etched structures in the sub-micrometre range by increasing the contrast in choosing a wavelength with minimal unselective etching. The strength of unselective etching is strongly wavelength dependent and follows the XeF₂gas phase absorption coefficient. Fragments from dissociation of the XeF₂reach the Si surface and thus cause unselective etching. Optimal dry etching occurs for wavelengths around 120 nm because the selectivity is high due to an excitation of a surface layer and also the quantum efficiency is very large. An efficiency of 10 removed Si atoms per incoming photon, which exceeds that in the visible spectral range by more than four orders of magnitude, combined with the higher spatial resolution at 120 nm compared to the conventional excimer laser and I-line wavelengths and the availability of optical materials for imaging present a perspective for generating line densities in the Gbit range.     

低能Cl原子刻蚀Si(100)表面的分子动力学模拟

使用分子动力学模拟方法研究了不同能量(0.3—10 eV)的Cl原子对表面温度为300 K的Si(100)表面的刻蚀过程.模拟中采用了Tersoff-Brenner势能函数来描述Cl-Si体系的相互作用.模拟结果显示,随着入射Cl原子在表面的吸附达到饱和,Si表面形成一层富Cl反应层.这和实验结果是一致的.反应层厚度随入射能量增加而增加.反应层中主要化合物类型为SiCl,且主要分布于反应层底部.模拟结果发现随初始入射能量的增加,Si的刻蚀率增大.在入射能量为0.3,1和5 eV时,主要的Si刻蚀产物为Si 关键词： 分子动力学 Cl刻蚀Si 分子动力学模拟 微电子机械系统     

Submicroscopic analysis of tracks in mica

Tracks of 49 MeV ³⁵Cl ions in muscovite mica were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy up to 10 Å resolution applying the track replica method. The enlargement of the track diameter is measured as a function of etching time. The track shape evolution shows circular tracks for very short etching times. By increasing the etching time the tracks gradually become ovals. For longer etching times, tracks show the characteristic rhombic shape of the bulk region. A non monotonous decrease of the track velocity vs. radius is reported. Formation of a low velocity shell in the intermediate region between the central amorphous zone and the non-perturbed crystalline lattice is suggested.     

Diamond surface modification following thermal etching of Si supported hydrogenated diamond films by DBr

In this work, we study the modification of hydrogenated diamond films deposited on silicon resulting from its exposure to DBr followed by an annealing above 600 K, using high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS). This procedure results in silicon carbide SiC formation within the diamond film, as evidenced by the observation of a loss peak at 117 meV and its first harmonic at 233 meV in HREEL spectra. This diamond surface modification is interpreted as resulting from the reaction of products of the silicon support thermally activated etching with hydrogenated diamond.