ION-BEAM SYNTHESIS AND STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ZNS NANOCRYSTALS IN SIO2

In this letter, we report the ion-beam synthesis and the structural ch aracterization of ZnS nanocrystals in SiO2. Both electron diffraction and x-ray diffraction measurements show the precipitation of ZnS nanoc rystals having a wurtzite-2H structure and infrared spectroscopy confi rms the presence of Zn-S bonding. Upon annealing. transmission electro n microscopy observations show the Ostwald ripening of the precipitate s coupled with a self-organization in two layers parallel to the tier: surface. This self-organization has been also detected by secondary i on mass spectroscopy, and its origin is discussed in terms of a pure O stwald ripening process and/or a consequence of the implantation damag e. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.