4He irradiation of zircon, ZrSiO4, using a micro-patterned, Si-based energy filter


4He irradiation of zircon, ZrSiO4, using a micro-patterned, Si-based energy filter

Nasdala, L.; Akhmadaliev, S.; Chanmuang N., C.; Zowalla, A.; Csato, C.; Rüb, M.

The quantitative evaluation of alpha-particle damage in the mineral zircon, ZrSiO4, using 4He irradiation experiments is difficult because the vast majority of atomic knock-ons in the target are concentrated in a narrow depth range near the ends of the He-ion trajectories. Here we present a new concept to overcome this problem, namely, tailoring the depth profile of damage by means of a micromechanically fabricated “energy filter”. Lamellae of 1.5 μm thickness, prepared from ZrSiO4 using the focused-ion-beam technique, were subjected to irradiation with 8.8 MeV 4He ions. Five irradiations with ion fluences in the range 2.5 × 1015–1 × 1017 cm-2 have resulted in mild to severe damage, as monitored by the broadening and downshift of SiO4-stretching Raman bands. Our results may provide a means for quantifying the contribution of alpha particles to the total self-irradiation damage in zircon.

Keywords: Radiation damage; Helium irradiation; Energy filter; Focused ion beam; Raman spectroscopy

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Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-28865
Publ.-Id: 28865