Abstract
CeO2 thin films have been deposited on fused silica substrates using RF-sputtering technique. 175 MeV Au13+ ions beam with two different fluences, 1 × 1012 ions/cm2 and 5 × 1012 ions/cm2, have been applied to modify the structural, surface and optical properties of CeO2 thin films. X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV–visible absorption and photoluminescence (PL) measurements have been performed to investigate the 175 MeV Au13+ ion-irradiation induced changes in CeO2 thin films. The irradiated films show the formation of nanocrystalline granulizes on the film surface. The mud like cracks have been evolved at the ion-fluence of 5 × 1012 ion/cm2. The modifications in the optical and structural properties and the formation of cracks have been studied under the light of 175 MeV Au13+ ion irradiation and energy loss process into CeO2 lattice.
Acknowledgement
Authors are thankful to the Inter University Accelerator Center, New Delhi, India, for providing financial assistance and experimental facilities under the research projects (BTR no- 65119 and 72509). Aditya Sharma is also thankful to Haryana State Council for Science, Innovation and Technology for providing financial support under the R&D research project scheme (wide letter; HSCSIT/R&D/2022/2657 dated; 10/10/2022).
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Mayora Varshney
Dr Mayora Varshney, an Assistant Professor at Department of Applied Physics, School of Vocational and Applied Sciences, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. She has published more than 40 research papers in peer reviewed journals. Her area of research is ion beam modification of metal oxide thin films for enhancing the optical, magnetic and electronic properties. She worked as Post-Doctoral fellow and visiting research scientist at Korea Institute of Science and technology and Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, South Korea.
Aditya Sharma
Dr Aditya Sharma, an Assistant Professor & Officer In-Charge of University Instrumentation Centre, Manav Rachna University, Faridabad, India, works for the ion-implantation and swift heavy ion irradiation based material's modification for basic understanding of ion-solid interaction and engineering the material's optical, electronic and catalytic properties. He worked as visiting research scientist and Post-Doctoral fellow at Korea Institute of Science and technology and Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, South Korea. He has published more than 60 research papers and 05 book chapters in peer reviewed journals/books. He has couple of major research projects from Govt. funding agencies.
K.D. Verma
Dr K.D. Verma, a Professor and Head of the Physics Department at Shree Varshney Degree (P.G.) College, Aligarh, India. He has published more than 100 research papers in peer reviewed journals/conferences/symposia. He has guided 08 PhD students. His areas of research are ion-solid interaction, development of new functional materials of energy and environment importance and theoretical condensed matter Physics. He has delivered many invited talks and chaired the sessions in different conferences, workshops and symposia. He is the active member of several societies of material's research.