Crack formation and optical properties in 175 MeV Au¹³⁺ ion beam irradiated CeO₂ thin films

CeO2 thin films have been deposited on fused silica substrates using RF-sputtering technique. 175 MeV Au13+ ions beam with two different fluences, 1 × 1012 ions/cm2 and 5 × 1012 ions/cm2, have been applied to modify the structural, surface and optical properties of CeO2 thin films. X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV–visible absorption and photoluminescence (PL) measurements have been performed to investigate the 175 MeV Au13+ ion-irradiation induced changes in CeO2 thin films. The irradiated films show the formation of nanocrystalline granulizes on the film surface. The mud like cracks have been evolved at the ion-fluence of 5 × 1012 ion/cm2. The modifications in the optical and structural properties and the formation of cracks have been studied under the light of 175 MeV Au13+ ion irradiation and energy loss process into CeO2 lattice.