Study of CdZnTe thin-film surface nanostructures induced by 100 MeV Au ion irradiation

• Published in: Journal of materials research 2023-04, Vol.38 (8), p.2112-2121
• Main Authors: Dhangada, Praveen, Survase, Smita, Thakurdesai, Madhavi, Tayade, Nishant, Tirpude, M. P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorption spectroscopy; Applied and Technical Physics; Atomic force microscopy; Biomaterials; Cadmium zinc tellurides; Chemistry and Materials Science; Fluence; Grain size distribution; Heavy ions; Inorganic Chemistry; Ion beams; Ion irradiation; Materials Engineering; Materials research; Materials Science; Nanostructure; Nanotechnology; Thin films
• ISSN: 0884-2914; 2044-5326
• DOI: 10.1557/s43578-023-00955-5

Swift heavy ion irradiation is an excellent tool for nanostructures creation on the surface of the thin films. Localized rise in temperature and ultrafast (~ 10 − 12  s) dissipations of impinging energy leads to formation of ion tracks which are in disordered or amorphous state. With increasing ion fluence, a number of such tracks increase and tend to overlap. This track overlapping leads to surface instabilities and nanostructure formation can be expected. In the present study, the thermally evaporated thin films of CdZnTe of 100 nm thickness are irradiated using 100 MeV Au ion beam at a fluence of 1 × 10 12 ions.cm −2 and 5 × 10 12 ions.cm −2 . The surface morphology of as-deposited and irradiated films is investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM studies reveal grain fragmentation and modification in grain size distribution. The irradiation-induced structural changes are studied using X-ray diffraction technique. The optical studies are carried out using UV–Visible absorption spectroscopy. Graphical abstract