Electronic energy loss and straggling in low energy H⁺ and H₂⁺ interaction with silicon films

ABSTRACT

The appearance of atomic structures of nanoscopic dimensions, with new and interesting physical properties, requires revisiting various aspects of particle interaction with solid matter. For this purpose in this work we present a study of electronic energy loss of H⁺ and protons (fragments) from the dissociation of H₂⁺ ions interacting with ultra-thin amorphous silicon films for incident beam energies from 1 to 10 keV/u. We report measurements of energy distributions of transmitted protons and molecular fragments through these films, from which we derive the average energy losses and the energy loss straggling. Our experimental findings turn out to be in good agreement with nonlinear electronic stopping power models and some previous experimental data.

KEYWORDS:

• Ions
• silicon
• scattering
• stopping
• straggling
• protons

Acknowledgements

This work has been partially and financially supported by Fondecyt project # 1100759. Also, we acknowledge the Basal Program for Centers of Excellence, Grant FB0807 CEDENNA, CONICYT. V. A. Esaulov acknowledges support from the Conicyt project PAI-MEC 80150073, MEC-USM-DGIIE internal projects and the Physics Department at USM for its hospitality. M.M acknowledges support from Iniciativa Científica Milenio via NPF and QUIMAL project 180002 from ANID. We acknowledge C. P. Romero for useful discussions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mario Mery

Mario Mery is presently a post-doctoral researcher in Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (UTFSM). He graduated from UTFSM, Chile, Department of Physics with a Master of Science in experimental physics. His PhD from UTFSM was on topics related to low energy ion interaction with nanostructures. His research interests include proton interaction with graphene, nanotube and metallic thin films. Also, synthesis, study and applications of nanoparticles.

Juan D. Uribe

Juan D. Uribe is presently a physics teacher at University of Talca, Chile. He graduated from the University of Antioquia, Colombia, with a Master of Physics focused on the production and characterization of magnetic thin films. He is currently enrolled for a PhD at the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (Valparaiso, Chile) on topics related to atomic collisions and the interactions of ions with nanostructured systems. His research interests include energy loss studies of light ions travelling through ultrathin metallic and semiconducting films and Carbon allotropes (MWCNTs, graphene).

Marcos Flores

Marcos Flores is professor in the Department of Physics at the Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. He obtained his Ph.D. in Physics from the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaiso, Chile. He was a collaborative scientist of the Atomic Physics Lab at Riken Institute, Japan. His main fields of interest are nanostructured metallic thin films and flexible electronic applications; self-assembled molecular monolayer and their applications such as protection against the oxidation or biocorrosion and solid electrolyte interphase formation in lithium-ion batteries.

Néstor R. Arista

Nestor R. Arista is a former senior staff member of the Atomic Energy Commission of Argentina and Professor of the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. He is currently a Professor Emeritus of this University.

Vladimir A. Esaulov

Vladimir A. Esaulov is Research Director Emeritus of the Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) at the Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d’Orsay, Université Paris Sud and Université Paris Saclay, Orsay, France. His research interests interaction of atomic and molecular ions with matter, characteristics of nanostructured materials and molecular selfassembly on surfaces.

Jorge E. Valdés

Jorge E. Valdés is currently a Senior Researcher at the Physics Department from the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (UTFSM), Valparaíso, Chile. He graduated with a Doctor in Physics degree from Instituto Balseiro, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. As head of the Atomic Collisions Laboratory at UTFSM, he developed methods and experiments related with processes of particle interaction with matter. His studies focus on stopping power of solids for light charged particles through energy loss measurements in transmission geometry in very thin metallics films at low energies. He is also interested in development of computational semi-classical and deterministic simulation models for studies of particle interaction with matter.