Study of Zinc Implanted Crystalline Quartz

The results of a study of crystalline quartz implanted by ⁶⁴Zn⁺ ions with a dose of 5 × 10¹⁶/cm² and an energy of 40 keV are presented. The samples were annealed in air in steps of 100°C for 1 h at each step in the temperature range of 400−700°C. The methods used for the study were atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction phase analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Auger electron spectroscopy. It was found that after implantation, the phases of metallic zinc Zn and carbon C were fixed in the near-surface layer. After annealing at 700°C, the zinc oxide phase ZnO appears, and after annealing above 700°C, the zinc silicide phase Zn₂SiO₄ appears. It was found that after annealing at 400°C the roughness increases by 2 orders of magnitude compared to the state after implantation, and after annealing at 700°C, the roughness of the quartz surface decreases by an order of magnitude compared to annealing at 400°C. After annealing at 700°C, numerous Zn-containing nanoparticles and craters are fixed on the surface and a zinc silicide phase is formed.