Interaction of Slow Highly Charged Ions with Ultrathin Membranes


Interaction of Slow Highly Charged Ions with Ultrathin Membranes

Wilhelm, R. A.; Gruber, E.; Ritter, R.; Heller, R.; Facsko, S.; Aumayr, F.

Slow highly charged ions (HCI) are known as an efficient tool for surface nano structuring of various insulating and semi-conducting surfaces. We show here that slow HCI can also be used to perforate a free-standing carbon nano membrane (CNM) with a thickness of only 1 nm. In Fig. 1 (left) a helium ion microscopy (HIM) image shows ion induced pores with sizes of up to 15 nm in diameter and corresponding sputter yields of up to a few thousand atoms. Recent energy loss and charge exchange measurements on ions transmitted through a 1 nm thick CNM and free-standing Graphene reveal a strong dependence of the ion energy loss on charge exchange (see Fig. 1 (right)). Surprisingly two distinct exit charge state distributions are observed, i.e. one part of the ions is almost neutralized and the other part remains in very high charge states after transmission.
A simple model for charge state dependent energy loss of slow ions is compared to the mea- sured transmission data. The ions potential and kinetic energy dependence on pore formation is discussed in terms of charge exchange and energy loss.

Related publications

  • Invited lecture (Conferences)
    17th International Conference Physics of Highly Charged Ions (HCI2014), 31.08.-05.09.2014, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentinien
  • Lecture (others)
    Institutsseminar, Institut für Angewandte Physik der TU Wien, 20.02.2015, Wien, Österreich

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Publ.-Id: 20795