Ion-beam channeling in a single-surface modified Si membrane
Authors
Andersen D., Holeňák R., Tabean S., Ntemou E., Wirtz T., Hobler G., Primetzhofer D., Eswara S.
Reference
Applied Surface Science, vol. 709, art. no. 163734, 2025
Description
The scattering and energy distributions of ions (22Ne+ and 4He+) transmitted through a Ga implanted single-crystal Si (0 0 1 ) membrane are studied both experimentally and with a Monte-Carlo binary collision approximation code (IMSIL). The membrane is studied in both a [0 0 1] orientation to the ion beam as well as an inverted orientation. Both the scattering and energy distributions of the transmitted particles reveal a strong dependence on the membrane orientation due to the amorphization of the Si surface. When ions well-aligned to the [0 0 1] axis first encounter the crystalline layer, they primarily travel along the axial channel before being randomly scattered by the amorphous surface layer, yielding a random scattering distribution. Alternatively, when the trajectories are initially randomized by the amorphous surface, a large fraction of the ions are directed to higher energy-loss pathways upon entering the crystal, such as planar channels and random trajectories. The resulting scattering distribution reveals the crystalline features of the sample (e.g., star pattern) but with a larger energy spread and a higher average energy loss than the former case. This work aims to extend transmitted ion beam imaging and ion energy-loss analysis in the keV range to complex heterostructures with both crystalline and amorphous regions.
Link
doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2025.163734
