In order to densify and to improve the physical properties, TiO₂ sol-gel films, about 100 nm in thickness, on silica glass or silicon wafer were implanted with Ar⁺ or B⁺ ions. The refractive index of the as-dried films increased and the IR absorption band of OH disappeared after Ar⁺ implantation. Dehydration and densification of sol-gel films were enhanced by Ar⁺ implantation. On the other hand, the refractive index and the thickness of the films hardly changed by B⁺ implantation. However, IR absorption bands attributed to B-O bond were observed after B⁺ implantation. This suggests that sol-gel films could be chemically modified by ion implantation with reactive ion species.

Date Published: 13 October 1994
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 2288, Sol-Gel Optics III, (13 October 1994); doi: 10.1117/12.188968

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2288:
Sol-Gel Optics III
John D. Mackenzie, Editor(s)