Metal-ion implantation in glasses: Physical and chemical aspects

A review of the state-of the-art of the research in the field of chemical interactions in silica and silicate glasses implanted with metal ions (e.g., Si, Ti, W, Ag, Cu, Cr) and N is presented in terms of new compounds formation. Moreover, under certain circumstances, the formation of nanometer-radius metal colloidal particles in a thin surface layer is observed. The chemical state of the implanted atoms is determined by X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and X-ray excited Anger-electron spectroscopies (XE-AES). Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) are used to determine the in-depth elemental distributions. Optical absorption measurements and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are used to detect the presence of metallic clusters, as well as to determine their mean size and size distribution. A thermodynamics approach is used to explain the interaction between the implanted ion and the separate atomic species of the target glass and/or between the implanted ion and the target molecular species.