The charge states of iron in insulators implanted with57Co and57Fe

Single crystals of α-Al₂O₃ and LiNbO₃ were implanted with⁵⁷Co (dose: up to 2×10¹⁵ atoms/cm²) and with⁵⁷Fe (dose: 2×10¹⁵ atoms/cm²) ions. The Mössbauer spectra revealed the disordered atomic environment. Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ charge states were observed. The spectra were compared to the spectra of crystals doped with⁵⁷Co. It was remarkable that in the doped α-Al₂O₃ Fe³⁺ states with slow spin-spin relaxation have appeared. The CEMS study of the samples implanted with⁵⁷Fe resulted in Fe²⁺ ionic states indicating that a fraction of Co atoms can also be in Co²⁺ state.     

Structure and thermal evolution of57Fe implanted chromium

⁵⁷Fe ion implanted chromium foils have been analyzed by conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy. After annealing at temperatures up to 600 °C, the CEM spectra show two magnetic components which are attributed to iron atoms in the core and the outer layer of grains. By means of a simple model using the spectral data, the final average iron grain has been evaluated to be about 5 nm.     

Thermal annealing effects in LiF crystals implanted with57Fe ions

Thermal annealing effects in lithium fluoride single crystals implanted with⁵⁷Fe ions were studied by conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy. It was found that annealing in vacuum leads mostly to the precipitation of metallic aggregates in contrast to the annealing in He and H₂ when the formation of ferric compounds, having high magnetic transition temperatures, takes place.     

Magnetic behaviour and DCEMS study of SnO2 films implanted with 57Fe

Fe implanted SnO₂ films (5 × 10¹⁶ and 1 × 10^{17 57}Fe ions/cm²) characterized by conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) are reviewed. The substrate temperatures affect the growth of precipitated iron oxides. The Fe ion implanted film at room temperature (RT) shows no Kerr effect and no magnetic sextet in CEM spectra. The SnO₂ film implanted with ⁵⁷Fe at the substrate temperature of 300 °C show a small Kerr effect although the magnetic sextet is not observed, but post-annealing results in the disappearance of the Kerr effect. This magnetism is considered to be due to defect induced magnetism. Some samples were measured by CEMS at 15 K. SnO₂ (0.1 at %Sb and 3 at %Sb) films, implanted at 500 °C and the post-annealed samples, show RT ferromagnetism due to formation of clusters of magnetite and maghemite, respectively. The layer by layer analysis of these films within 100 nm in thickness has been done by depth sensitive CEMS (DCEMS) using a He + 5 % CH₄ gas counter. The structures and compositions of Fe implanted SnO₂ films, and the effects due to post-annealing were investigated.     

A CEMS investigation of57Fe+Al implanted in Al foil

⁵⁷Fe implanted and post Al implanted in aluminum foil have been performed at low energy of 27keV and the CEMS shows the formation of intermetallic compounds FeAlσ and Fe₂Alσ during the ion bombardment. The results are discussed with the enhanced diffusion by energetic ion bombardment.     

Characterization of Fe states in dilute 57 Mn implanted SnO 2 film

States of dilute Fe in SnO₂ have been monitored using ⁵⁷Fe emission Mössbauer spectroscopy following implantation of ⁵⁷Mn (T _1/2 = 85.4 s) in the temperature range from 143 K to 711 K. A sharp annealing stage is observed at ~330 K where the Fe^3?+?/Fe^2?+? ratio shows a marked increase. It is suggested that this annealing stage is due to the dissociation of Mn-V_O pairs during the lifetime of ⁵⁷Mn; the activation energy for this dissociation is estimated to be 0.9(1) eV. Fe^3?+? is found in a paramagnetic state showing spin-lattice relaxation rates consistent with an expected T ² dependence derived for a Raman process. In addition, a sharp lined doublet in the Mössbauer spectra is interpreted as due to recoil produced interstitial Fe.     

A CEMS investigation of57Fe implanted in Al and Cu at low temperature

A new type of CEM-spectrometer allows in situ measurements on metal foils implanted at low temperatures. It has been used to study defect association and clustering of⁵⁷Fe in Al and Cu. For⁵⁷FeAl, the substitutional fraction (f _s) in samples implanted at 120 K is somewhat smaller than expected for a random impurity distribution but much larger than after room temperature implantation. For⁵⁷FeCu,f _s for samples implanted at 120 K is less than 0.5 of the value expected for a random distribution and it falls to zero after annealing at 600 K, where more extensive Fe clustering occurs. Vacancy trapping in stage III does not contribute significantly to the observed defect sites.     

Mössbauer spectroscopy study surface structure of Si implanted by57Fe

Mossbauer spectroscopy, RBS and Infrared absorbed spectroscopy (IAS) analysis were carried out for the single crystal Si and amorphous Si both implanted by⁵⁷Fe. Mossbauer spectra were fitted by separated and continuous spectrum for single crystal Si and amorphous Si, respectively. Some interesting information of the chemical characteristics around the implanted ions were obtained.     

57Fe conversion electron Mössbauer spectrometric study of boron and carbon ion implanted irons

Amorphous layers produced at the surface of iron by B⁺ and C⁺ implantation (50 kV, 1×10¹⁸ ions cm⁻²) were analyzed by CEMS. The CEM spectrum of B⁺ implanted layer was composed of broad doublet and sextet. Spread hyperfine field distribution, P(H), indicates the formation of extremely disordered FeB layer. Annealing at 400°C brought about precipitation of FeB, which was converted to Fe₂B by annealing at 500°C. The P(H) for C⁺ implanted iron was resolved to 3 subpeaks with H values of 11.0, 18.0 and 22.5 T. The amorphous FeC phase was strongly correlated to crystalline Fe₅C₂ and Fe₂C, which precipitated at 300°C and were transformed into Fe₃C at 500°C. The amorphous layer disappeared by annealing at 600°C.     

Probing the phase transition of methane with Mössbauer effect in 57Fe impurities

Mossbauer studies were performed in ⁵⁷Fe impurities (0.3% at.) in solid methane, in order to investigate the properties of the order-disorder phase transition taking place at T_c=20.4K. From the temperature dependence of the relative values of the recoil-free-fraction - f - it was found that near T_c a change occurs in the slope of f(T²) without discontinuity in the value of f. A consistent model is proposed by which immediately below T_c both phases, I and II coexist with a gradual evolution of the ordered state (II) on the account of the high temperature plastic state (I). The Debye temperature of phase II (θ_II = 101±7K) increases with respect to that of phase I (θ_I = 72±3K), indicating a hardening in the phonon spectrum and precluding the onset of rotational modes of the disordered molecules.     

Reevaluation of the conversion coefficient of the 14.4 keV transition in57Fe

Existing values of the conversion coefficient of the 14.4 keV transition in⁵⁷Fe have been reevaluated using newK-shell fluorescence yields and recent decay scheme information. Previous disagreements are removed and the mean values found are α _T =8.26±0.19, α _K =7.37±0.17.     

Transient Mössbauer spectroscopy with57Fe

Transient Mössbauer experiments with⁵⁷Fe are described. A time resolution of 0.7 ns is achieved with a BaF₂ scintillator. Polar polyvinylidene fluoride film is shown to be well suited for producing fast mechanical modulation. Pulses of recoilless gamma radiation, of width ≈30 ns and heigth 3.5 times the Mössbauer absorption, are generated with stepwise source motion. The efficiency of transient methods in extracting Mössbauer data is demonstrated with sinusoidal motion.     

57Co implanted in reactive and non-reactive frozen gases

⁵⁷Co was implanted in different reactive and non reactive frozen gases like Ne, Ar, N₂, Xe, CH₄ and C₂H₄. Higher ionization states of Fe and cryochemical compounds are detected.     

Intermediate coupling model description of55Fe and57Fe

The properties of the negative parity states of⁵⁵Fe and⁵⁷Fe are investigated in the framework of the intermediate coupling model. In the model, a neutron or a quasineutron is coupled to anharmonic vibrations of the core. Anharmonicities of the vibrations are estimated through the observed properties of the core. Energy levels, spectroscopic factors and electromagnetic properties have been calculated. The results of the present calculations are also compared with available experimental results and other theoretical results. The model reasonably accounts for many of the properties of the low-lying states.     

Mossbauer spectroscopy on57Co implanted SiO2

Conclusions Different charge states of⁵⁷Fe are identified in the⁵⁷Co implanted SiO₂ matrix.It is interesting to see that the states appearing in solid oxygen [2 ] also appear in the SiO₂ matrix, although in neither of the matrices a preferential interpretation of the S₁-line being Fe^{+ 6} or Fe⁰, can be achieved.Further, implantation of⁵⁷Fe in SiO₂ could reveal whether the states appearing in the⁵⁷Co implanted SiO² are really after decay effects or part of a (⁵⁷Fe-SiO₂)-structure.The authors wish to thank Prof. P. Boolchand for the SiO₂ samples and L. Verwilst for the ion implantation.     

Reactions of 57Mn implanted into solid oxygen

The in-beam Mössbauer spectroscopy using a short-lived ⁵⁷Mn (T _1/2=1.5 min) beam was carried out to study the production of the exotic chemical species of ⁵⁷Fe atoms arising from ⁵⁷Mn implanted into solid oxygen. The obtained spectra can be analyzed by four components of doublets at least, which are assigned to be novel Fe species of FeO, Fe(O₂), (O₂)FeO₂, and Fe(O₂)₂, on the basis of ab initio molecular orbital calculations.     

Cems study of enstatite single crystal implanted with Fe ions

The thermal evolution of the local states of the Fe-impurity ions introduced by implantation to the enstatite lattice was studied by Conversion electron Mössbauer Spectroscopy. The obtained results are discussed in terms of thermodynamical properties of pyroxenes and compared with lunar samples data.     

Performance-comparison of57Fe DCEMS and UHV-ICEMS

In UHV-applications of DCEMS or ICEMS the optimization of the experimental performance is of utmost importance. For the characterization of the “statistical quality” of the Mössbauer-effect experiment, the statistical utility rateu is defined. The measuring time gain valuesG are determined by comparing values ofu. It is shown with⁵⁷Fe DCEMS and UHV ICEMS measurements performed on various⁵⁷Fe samples applying a channeltron and an extremely low-noise scintillation e^?-counter as electron detector that preferable experimental conditions for ICEMS and DCEMS measurements are different.