Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
9809676 | Surface and Coatings Technology | 2005 | 5 Pages |
Abstract
Effects of N-ion implantation on surface modification of synthetic single crystalline ruby (Cr-doped Al2O3) and sapphire (α-Al2O3) were studied. N ions at energy 120 keV were implanted to samples with doses ranging from 1Ã1016 to 1Ã1018 ions/cm2. Temperature studies ruled out the effect of ion-beam heating and, therefore, the gemological modification was the direct result of the implanted ions and radiation damage. Optical measurements showed that the optical absorption of the ion-implanted ruby uniformly increased without observable characteristic changes in any wavelength bands, whereas for the high-dose ion-implanted sapphire, optical absorption in the short wavelength region became stronger. The refractive indices however showed the same decreasing trend in the higher dose ion-implanted samples for both types of crystals. N-ion implantation also caused blistering of the surface, as studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The medium-dose (5Ã1017 ions/cm2) ion-implanted surfaces started to show drastic blistering, and the high-dose (1Ã1018 ions/cm2) ion implantation further resulted in amorphization of the ruby and sapphire surfaces. According to these data, the optical property changes are then attributed to the gem-material surface modification.
Related Topics
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Authors
C. Chaiwong, L.D. Yu, K. Schinarakis, T. Vilaithong,