Ion beam irradiation of Sn films deposited on YSZ(100)
Résumé
This paper reports the formation processes of crystalline Sn nanostructured films grown under ultra high vacuum conditions on monocrystalline yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates with (10 0) orientation. The microstructure of the films was analyzed using SEM and X-ray diffraction. Evaporation of Sit films yields crystallographically well-defined metallic islands of different shapes depending on the substrate temperature. The overall growth mechanism appears to follow the Stranski-Krastanov type. Irradiation of deposited films was performed at room temperature with 4 MeV Au2+ ions at a fluence of 10(15) cm(-2) to induce material decomposition and aggregation of host atoms. X-ray diffraction and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) experiments conducted on Sn films deposited on YSZ(l 00) prior to and after irradiation demonstrate that ion irradiation drives a structural phase transformation for Sri and Zr-rich compositions. The microstructural evolution upon ion irradiation was also examined by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM). (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V.