He+ induced changes in the surface structure and optical properties of RF-sputtered amorphous alumina thin films

Abstract

High quality 50 nmthickstoichiometric amorphous aluminium oxide films were reactively sputtered on micro scope glass slide substrates. The films were exposed to energetic (2.20 MeV) He+ at different ion fluences of 6×1012 ion/cm2;1×1013 ion/cm2;2×1013 ion/cm2;3×1013 ion/cm2; and 4 × 1013 ion/cm2. The effect of the ion irradiation on the optical, structural phase and surface properties of the alumina films was investigated via UV–VIS–NIRspectroscopy,X-raydiffraction analysis and theatomicforcemicroscopyrespectively. Thetrans missionandabsorptionspectraoftheirradiatedfilmsshowedvariationthatdependedonionfluence.Therefrac tive index, extinction coefficient, optical conductivity, dielectric constant and energy loss functions of the films were also affected by He+ irradiation. Optical band gap and films' structural phase were however not altered bytheionirradiation. The variation in optical constants induced by radiation was attributed to electronic excita tion and increase in surface roughness of the films