Alignment of grain orientation in polycrystalline-SiO2 films induced by high-energy heavy ions

We have investigated effects induced by 100 MeV Xe and 90 MeV Ni ion irradiation on polycrystalline (poly-) SiO2 tridymite-films prepared by oxidation of Si(1 0 0) substrates at 1300 °C for 5 h in air. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results reveal alignment of the grain-orientation and increase of the lattice parameters as well as amorphisation due to the electronic energy deposition by ion irradiation. No clear images for grain-growth have been observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM).