INVESTIGATION OF RADIATION-DAMAGE IN ION-IMPLANTED KTIOPO4

The damage production in potassium titanyl phosphate KTiOPO4 (KTP) was investigated for Li+, N+, Ar+ and Er+ ion implantation at different e nergies by means of the Rutherford backscattering (RBS) channeling spe ctrometry. Selected samples were furnace annealed at 650 degrees C. Th e damage production in the case of Li+-implantation follows the profil e of the nuclear energy deposition. A continuous damage evolution obse rved in the case of N+ and Ar+ implantations can be correlated with th e electronic energy loss. The results indicate that damaging due to el ectronic excitation obviously occurs if a certain value of the electro nic energy loss per incident ion is exceeded. For Er+-implantation bot h energy deposition processes seem to contribute to damaging. The find ings are related to the binding energies reported for KTP crystals. (C ) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.