Ion-beam-induced crystallization of radiation-resistant MAX phase nanostructures

0542563 - ÚJF 2022 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Vacík, Jiří - Bakardjieva, Snejana - Horák, Pavel - Cannavó, Antonino - Ceccio, Giovanni - Lavrentiev, Vasyl - Fink, Dietmar - Plocek, Jiří - Kupčík, Jaroslav - Calcagno, L. - Klie, R.
Ion-beam-induced crystallization of radiation-resistant MAX phase nanostructures.
Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids. Roč. 176, 1-2 (2021), s. 119-137. ISSN 1042-0150. E-ISSN 1029-4953
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA18-21677S
Research Infrastructure: CANAM II - 90056
Institutional support: RVO:61388980 ; RVO:61389005
Keywords : ion beam sputtering * MAX/MXene phases * radiation-induced crystallization
OECD category: Nuclear physics; Inorganic and nuclear chemistry (UACH-T)
Impact factor: 1.024, year: 2021
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://doi.org/10.1080/10420150.2021.1891063

Self-organization is a phenomenon that occurs under certain circumstances with different types of materials - liquids, bulk, and thin films, organic, inorganic or hybrid solids. This unique effect appears as an unusual part of various dynamic processes, such as co-deposition of immiscible phases, or due to modifications by external stimuli, such as thermal annealing or laser irradiation. A significant aspect of this effect is a certain level of energy flow, which creates conditions for the onset of a coordinated re-arrangement that leads to the self-organization of materials. Of interest is the stimulus of bombardment by energetic ions, which can lead (i) to radiation damage to the original structure, but (ii) also to constructive effects - the synthesis of materials with new structural forms and novel properties. The manifestation of a constructive ion irradiation stimulus was investigated also in this paper. Ternary and binary thin films - n-times repeating groups of (Ti/C)(n), (Ti/Sn/C)(n), (Hf/In/C)(n) with stoichiometric ratios 2/1 and 2/1/1 prepared by ion beam sputtering, were bombarded using 35 keV or 200 keV Ar+ ions to 10(13) cm(-2) or 10(15) cm(-2) fluence. Irradiation with swift heavy ions to such a high fluence should have a significant impact on the material. In fact, it turned out that the bombardment with Ar+ ions led to a pronounced re-arrangement of the inspected multilayers - to disruption of their original structure and self-crystallization of MAX and MXene nanostructures with various (nano-to-meso) size and densities. This effect was attributed to the collision cascade energy transfer, but it is also considered to be due to collective excitation processes. This result may repoint to the importance of ion irradiation for the technology of new materials, which can be otherwise difficult to synthesize in other ways.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0319950