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F-COLOUR CENTERS AND LITHIUM NANO-CLUSTERS IN ION-BEAM ASSISTED LiF THIN FILMS

S. Scaglione1,* , R. M. Montereali2, V. Mussi2, E. Nichelatti1

Affiliation

  1. ENEA, Applied Physical Technologies Division, CR Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, 00060 Rome, Italy
  2. Dept. of Physics and UdR INFM, University of Genova.Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova, Italy

Abstract

Various kinds of ionising radiation can be utilised to produce primary F centres (anion vacancies occupied by electrons) and aggregate defects in lithium fluoride (LiF) thin films. The creation of large aggregates of F centres and intrinsic metallic nanometre sized clusters (nano-aggregates) above a critical defect concentration and at irradiation temperatures where the diffusion of single point defects is not negligible has also been reported in LiF crystals. In this work, we present results concerning the stable formation of primary electronic defects (F centres) and lithium nano aggregates in lithium fluoride thin films grown by Xe ion assisted thermal evaporation. The optical properties of the as grown LiF films are reported as a function of the deposition parameters (ion energy, density of the ion-beam current). The mechanism of the simultaneous formation of F colour centres and lithium nano-clusters is tentatively explained in the framework of low energy knock-on collisions and the thermal spike theory..

Keywords

Lithium fluoride, Thin films, Ion beam assistance, Thermal spike.

Submitted at: Dec. 9, 2004
Accepted at: Jan. 26, 2005

Citation

S. Scaglione, R. M. Montereali, V. Mussi, E. Nichelatti, F-COLOUR CENTERS AND LITHIUM NANO-CLUSTERS IN ION-BEAM ASSISTED LiF THIN FILMS, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials Vol. 7, Iss. 1, pp. 207-213 (2005)