Formation process of CuCl nano-particles in silica glass by ion implantation

The formation process of CuCl crystals has been studied in (3 MeV 6 x 10(16 ) Cl2+ ions/cm(2) + 3 MeV 6 x 10(16) Cu2+ ions/cm(2))-implanted silica glas s by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectroscopy. It was found from X-ray absorption spectroscopy that Cu atoms were mainly coor dinated by oxygen atoms in as-implanted glass. Heat-treatment at 600 degree s C caused the formation of Cu-Cl bonds and beat-treatment at 1000 degrees C caused the formation of CuCl crystals in silica. It was deduced that the migration of Cl atoms is a rate-determining step for the formation of CuCl crystal, on the basis of the conventional precipitation model. (C) 1999 Els evier Science B.V. All rights reserved.