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Published on: September 30, 2022
Ionoluminescence in the helium ion microscope.
Stuart A Boden1, Thomas M W Franklin, Larry Scipioni
1Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK. sb1@ecs.soton.ac.uk
Helium ion beam induced ionoluminescence (IL) was characterized. While direct band-gap semiconductors showed reduced emission, other materials like quantum dots and nanocrystals exhibited IL, with potential for biological tagging.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Optics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Ionoluminescence (IL) is light emission from materials excited by ion beams.
- Characterizing IL is analogous to cathodoluminescence (CL) in scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey helium ion beam induced IL characteristics in various materials.
- To explore IL for biological tagging applications.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a helium ion microscope (HIM) with a luminescence detection system.
- Acquired IL images and spectra from diverse materials.
- Investigated IL decay kinetics and biological tagging potential.
Main Results:
- Direct band-gap semiconductors showed diminished IL in HIM compared to SEM.
- Materials like cerium-doped garnet, quantum dots, and LaPO4 nanocrystals exhibited IL.
- IL decay followed double exponential functions; successful simultaneous IL and secondary electron imaging for biological tagging was demonstrated.
Conclusions:
- HIM-induced IL is a viable characterization technique for specific materials.
- IL shows promise for biological tagging applications.
- Understanding IL decay is crucial for quantitative analysis.
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