B. Canut et al., DAMAGE-INDUCED IN LINBO3 SINGLE-CRYSTALS BY GEV GADOLINIUM IONS, Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms, 91(1-4), 1994, pp. 312-316
Single crystals of LiNbO3 with two different orientations (Y-cut and Z
-cut) have been irradiated at GANIL with 5.17 MeV/amu Gd-155 ions at r
oom temperature. The fluence extended from 1.5 x 10(11) to 1.2 x 10(12
) ions CM-2 . The damage resulting from the high electronic stopping p
ower (up to 30 keV/nm) has been characterized by both Rutherford backs
cattering ion channeling (RBS-C) and optical absorption measurements.
By using a degrador, the defect efficiency has also been investigated
as a function of the electronic stopping power (18 keV/nm < (d E/dx)e
< 30 keV/nm). The results show a defect creation by ionization process
and for the highest electronic stopping powers a damage cross section
of approximation 8.5 x 10(-13) cm2, corresponding to a mean track rad
ius of about 5 nm. Surface swelling of the irradiated surfaces was mea
sured using a surface profilometer and the height of the out-of-plane
step was correlated with the damage induced by the high electronic ene
rgy losses.