Swift heavy ion irradiation with 160 MeV Xe ions with a fluence of 5×1013 ion cm-2 was performed on metallic 57Fe (10 nm) thin layer vacuum deposited onto SiO2/Si. The effect of irradiation was studied by the help of temperature dependent 57Fe conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as well as magnetization measurements. It was observed that the applied swift heavy ion irradiation induced considerable changes in the phase composition. The relative content of crystalline a-Fe decreased from ~85% (non-irradiated case) to ~32%, while formation of amorphous iron and silicon-containing iron oxide phases occurred upon irradiation. CEMS in agreement with magnetization measurements evidenced the presence of pure iron in the amorphous state. The irradiation-induced silicon-iron-oxide phases showed superparamagnetic behavior. The results are discussed in terms of the thermal spike model of the energy deposition of heavy ions involving irradiation accelerated diffusion and atomic mixing.

Fe-Si oxides and amorphous iron formed in 57Fe layer vacuum deposited on SiO2/Si due to swift heavy ion irradiation

ACS Fall 2021

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