Energy Retention in Thin Graphite Targets after Energetic Ion Impact

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Physics

Background:

• High energy ion irradiation enables nanoscale material modification.
• Thin targets and 2D materials are susceptible to ion penetration, allowing nanopore creation.
• Electron emission can hinder materials modification by releasing energy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate energy dissipation following energetic ion impact in thin graphite targets.
• To quantify energy release and its effect on deposited energy retention.
• To understand implications for ion track formation and nanomaterial radiation hardness.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Geant4 code to simulate energetic ion interactions with thin graphite targets.
• Tracked energy dissipation pathways, including electron emission.
• Analyzed the percentage of deposited energy released from the target.

Main Results:

• Significant energy release from thin graphite targets was observed.
• Up to 40% of deposited energy was released at high ion energies.
• Energy release profoundly alters deposited energy retention and ion track formation.

Conclusions:

• Energy release via electron emission is a critical factor in ion irradiation of thin targets.
• Findings impact the understanding of ion track formation and nanopore creation.
• Results have implications for the radiation hardness of various nanomaterials.