Synthesis of Tin Nanoparticles by Swift Heavy Ion Irradiation of Films on Quartz Substrates

In this paper we investigate nano-particle synthesis by irradiation of 25 nm tin films deposited on quartz substrate, with 45 MeV Li3+ ions and 100 MeV O7+ ions. Ion fluences in the range 1 x 10(11) to 1 x10(13) ions/cm(2) are used. Morphological changes driven by ion irradiation include substantial changes in surface roughness, and narrowing of the majority particle size from several hundred nm to tens of nm is observed. The films are characterized by AFM, XRD and RBS, which provide information about the changes in surface topography, crystallinity and surface composition respectively, resulting from ion irradiation. In this system, sputtering is found to be the dominant mechanisms driving structural change, (despite the use swift heavy ions in the MeV energy range, where electronic energy loss is significant) and we have quantified the extent of material loss. The consequences of nuclear and electronic energy loss values upon irradiation by the two different ion beams are also discussed.