Photoluminescence and enhanced chemical reactivity of amorphous SiO2 films irradiated with high fluencies of 133-MeV Xe ions

SiO2/Si structures have been irradiated with 133 MeV Xe+17 ions at fluencies of (1010-5 × 1014) cm−2. The structure transformation and light-emitting properties of irradiated SiO2 films were studied using RS, SEM, TEM and PL techniques as well as chemical etching in 4% solution of hydrofluoric acid (HF). An intensive photoluminescence in visible range was registered from the samples irradiated at a fluence of 1014 cm−2 and higher. Simultaneously, it was found a drastic increase of SiO2 etch velocity in HF solution for the irradiated samples. Annealing (1100 °C, 2 h) of irradiated samples resulted in PL quenching and etch velocity recovery practically to the value of non-irradiated SiO2. It was concluded that radiative oxygen deficient centers are responsible for the PL appearance. It was also shown that the etch velocity ratio of the irradiated and virgin SiO2 in 4%-HF (Virr/Vvirgin) can be used in order to estimate the radiation damage in SiO2 matrix irradiated with high fluencies of swift heavy ions.