Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T15:29:17.087Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Recent examples of cathodoluminescence as a probe of surface structure and composition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

P. D. Townsend
Affiliation:
School of Engineering, Pevensey Building, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QH, UK
T. Karali
Affiliation:
School of Engineering, Pevensey Building, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QH, UK
A. P. Rowlands
Affiliation:
School of Engineering, Pevensey Building, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QH, UK
V. A. Smith
Affiliation:
School of Engineering, Pevensey Building, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QH, UK
G. Vazquez
Affiliation:
School of Engineering, Pevensey Building, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QH, UK

Abstract

Cathodoluminescence (CL) provides a sensitive analytical probe of the near-surface region of insulating materials, and some new examples of the strengths of the technique are presented using recent data from the University of Sussex. Analysis of float glass shows that by spectral and lifetime resolved data it is possible to separate the emission bands from excitonic, intrinsic imperfections, and impurities in various valence states, as a function of their depth beneath the surface. Correlation of the CL data with those from Mössbauer, ion beam and other analyses then provides the basis for models of the defect sites. CL from a second glass, ZBLAN, reveals the presence of microcrystallites and growth defects, and the work underpins confidence in the high purity gas levitation method of ZBLAN production. New results on CL of wavelength shifts with crystal field of Mn in carbonates are presented, and of Nd emission from Nd:YAG. The effects are directly linked to surface damage and dislocations caused by sample preparation steps of cutting and polishing. Methods to minimise the damage, by furnace or pulsed laser annealing, and chemical routes, are mentioned. Such surface preparation damage has a profound effect on all CL monitoring, whether for fundamental studies or mineralogical applications. Finally, a route to eliminate such problems is demonstrated, with consequent improvements in luminescence, transmission and laser performance of surface waveguides. The implications of improved surface quality range widely from mineralogical CL imaging through improved photonic materials and epitaxial growth to elimination of surface damage, and additional information.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1999 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aggarwal, I.D. and Lu, G. (1991) (Eds) Fluoride Glass Fiber Optics,Academic Press, Boston.Google Scholar
Agullo Lopez, F., Catlow, C.R.A. and Townsend, P.D. (1988) Point Defects in Materials,Cambridge University Press, London.Google Scholar
Calderon, T., Townsend, P.D., Beneitez, P., Garcia-Guinea, J., Millan, A., Rendell, H.M., Tookey, A., Urbina, M. and Wood, R.A. (1996) Crystal field effects on the thermoluminescenee of manganese in carbonate lattices. Rad. Measurements, 26, 719–31.Google Scholar
Can, N., Townsend, P.D., Hole, D.E., Snelling, H.V., Ballesteros, J.M. and Afonso, C.N. (1995) Enhancement of luminescence by pulsed laser annealing of ion implanted europium in sapphire and silica. J. Appl. Phys., 78, 6737–44.Google Scholar
Crookes, W. (1879) Contributions to molecular physics in high vacua. Phil Trans. Royal Soc., 170, 641–2.Google Scholar
Gan, F. (1995) Laser Materials. World Scientific, Singapore.Google Scholar
Gorobets, B.S., Gaft, M.L. and Podolskiy, A.M. (1989) Luminescence of minerals and ores, Ministry of Geology, Moscow USSR.Google Scholar
Gorton, N.T., Walker, G. and Burley, S.D. (1999) Experimental analysis of the composite blue CL emission in quartz — is this related to aluminium content. In Cathodoluminescence in Geosciences, (Pagel, M. et al., eds.). Springer-Verlag, Berlin, (in press).Google Scholar
Granier, J. and Potard, C. (1987) Containerless processing and modeling materials by the gas film levitation technique: early demonstration and modeling. Proc. 6th European Symp. on Material Sciences under microgravity conditions, Bordeaux, France 2-5 December 1986. Document ESA SP-256.Google Scholar
Holgate, S.A., Sloane, T.H., Townsend, P.D., White, D.R. and Chadwick, A.V. (1994) Thermo-lumines-cence of calcium fluoride doped with neodymium. J. Phys. Condensed Matter, 6, 9255–66.Google Scholar
Karali, T., Rowlands, A.P., Townsend, P.D., Prokic, M. and Olivares, J. (1998) Spectral comparison of Dy, Tm and Dy/Tm in CaSO4 thermoluminescent dosimeters. J. Phys. D, 31, 754–65.Google Scholar
Krbetschek, M.R., Gotze, J., Dietrich, A. and Trautmann, T. (1998) Spectral information from minerals relevant for luminescence dating. Rad. Measurements, 27, 695748.Google Scholar
Marshall, D.J. (1988) Cathodoluminescence of Geological Materials. Unwin Hyman, London.Google Scholar
McKeever, S.W.S., Moscovitch, M. and Townsend, P.D. (1995) Thermoluminescence Dosimetry Materials: Properties and Uses. Nuclear Technology Publishing, Ashford UK.Google Scholar
Merbay, J., Townsend, P.D. and Smith, V.A. (1998) Cathodoluminescence changes resulting from humidity and thermal treatments of float glass. Proc. Glass Technol. Meeting 1997. In Topical Issues in Glass, 2,7380.Google Scholar
Nunn, P J.T., Olivares, J., Spadoni, L., Townsend, P.D., Hole, D.E. and Luff, B.J. (1997) Ion beam enhanced chemical etching of Nd:YAG for optical wave-guides. Nucl. Inst. Methods B, 127/128, 507–11.Google Scholar
Ozawa, L. (1990) Cathodoluminescence,Theory and applications. Kodansha, Tokyo.Google Scholar
Pagel, M., Barbin, V., Blanc, Ph. and Ohnenstetter, D. (1999) (Eds) Cathodoluminescence in Geosciences,Springer-Verlag, Berlin, (in press).Google Scholar
Peto, A., Townsend, P.D., Hole, D.E., Harmer, S. (1997) Luminescence characterisation of lattice site modifications of Nd in Nd:YAG surface layers. J. Modern Optics, 44, 1217–30.Google Scholar
Pott, G.T. and McNicol, B.D. (1971) Spectroscopic study of the coordination and valence of Fe and Mn ions in and on the surface of aluminas and silicas. Disc. Faraday Soc., 52, 121–31.Google Scholar
Remond, G., Cesbron, F., Chapoulie, R., Ohnenstetter, D., Roques-Carmes, C., Schvoerer, M. (1992) Cathodoluminescence applied to the microcharacterization of mineral materials: a present status in experimentation and interpretation. Scanning Microscopy, 6, 2368.Google Scholar
Stevens-Kalceff, M.A., Phillips, M.R. (1995) Cathodoluminescence microcharacterization of the defect structure of quartz. Phys. Rev. B, 52, 3122–34.Google Scholar
Townsend, P.D., Can, N., Chandler, P.J., Farmery, B.W., Lopez-Herreredos, R., Peto, A., Salvin, L., Underdown, D. and Yang, B. (1998) Comparisons of tin depth profile analyses in float glass. J. Non Cryst. Solids, 223, 7385.Google Scholar
Walker, G. and Burley, S. (1991) Luminescence petrography and spectroscopic studies of diamagnetic minerals. In Luminescence Microscopy, (Barker, C.E. and Kopp, O.C., eds.).Google Scholar
Williams, K.F.E., Johnson, C.E., Greengrass, J., Tilley, B.P., Gelder, D. and Johnson, J.A. (1996) Tin oxidation states, depth profiles of Sn2+ and Sn4+ in float glass by Mössbauer spectroscopy. J. Non-Crystalline Solids, 211, 164–72.Google Scholar
Yacobi, B.G. and Holt, D.B. (1986) Cathodoluminescence scanning electron microscopy of semiconductors. J. Appl. Phys., 59, R1R24.Google Scholar
Yacobi, B.G. and Holt, D.B. (1990) Cathodoluminescence Microscopy of Inorganic Solids. Plenum Press, New York.Google Scholar
Yang, B., Townsend, P.D., Can, N., Janke, A., Baniel, P., Blanc, O. and Granier, J. (1997) Luminescence of levitated Zr-Ba-LaAl-Na fluoride glass. Phys. Rev. B, 56, 5876–84.Google Scholar
Zhang, Q., Yang, B., White, D.R.R., Townsend, P.D. and Luff, B.J. (1994) Thermoluminescence spectra of amethyst. Rad. Measurements, 23, 423–31.Google Scholar