Study of defects and structural transformations induced by ion irradiation of Y₂O₃ thin films deposited by Ion Beam Sputtering

AbstractY2O3 thin films deposited by Ion Beam Sputtering (IBS) deposition technique exhibit a particular disordered microstructure. In order to obtain a better knowledge on phase transition mechanisms occurring during irradiation, thin films with different microstructures have been implanted with xenon ions at different energies and different doses. This work established two types of transition (cubic-amorphous or cubic-monoclinic) depending mainly on the ion energy with a possibility to control the damaging kinetic via the pre-existing oxygen disorder.