Cathodoluminescent Analysis of Sapphire Surface Etching Processes in a Medium-Energy Electron Beam

Sapphire crystals are widely used in optics and optoelectronics. In this regard, it is important to study the stability of crystals under external influence and the possibility of modifying their surfaces by external influence. This work presents the results of studying the processes of the action o...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Arsen Muslimov, Vladimir Kanevsky
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-02-01
Series:Materials
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/4/1332
_version_ 1797478445552238592
author Arsen Muslimov
Vladimir Kanevsky
author_facet Arsen Muslimov
Vladimir Kanevsky
author_sort Arsen Muslimov
collection DOAJ
description Sapphire crystals are widely used in optics and optoelectronics. In this regard, it is important to study the stability of crystals under external influence and the possibility of modifying their surfaces by external influence. This work presents the results of studying the processes of the action of an electron beam with an average energy of 70 keV or less under vacuum conditions on the surfaces of sapphire substrates of various orientations. The effect of etching a sapphire surface by an electron beam in vacuum at room temperature was discovered. The highest etching rate was observed for A-plane sapphire (the average pit etching rate was 10<sup>−6</sup> µm<sup>3</sup>/s). It was shown that the rate of etching of a sapphire surface increased many times over when gold is deposited. An in situ method for studying the process of etching a sapphire surface using cathodoluminescence analysis was considered. Possible mechanisms of sapphire etching by a beam of bombarding electrons were considered. The results obtained could be important in solving the problem of the stability of sapphire windows used in various conditions, including outer space. In addition, the proposed method of metal-stimulated etching of a sapphire surface can be widely used in patterned sapphire substrate (PSS) technology and further forming low-dislocation light-emitting structures on them.
first_indexed 2024-03-09T21:32:02Z
format Article
id doaj.art-057d44602b324201a16215f984a6ff16
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1996-1944
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-09T21:32:02Z
publishDate 2022-02-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Materials
spelling doaj.art-057d44602b324201a16215f984a6ff162023-11-23T20:51:37ZengMDPI AGMaterials1996-19442022-02-01154133210.3390/ma15041332Cathodoluminescent Analysis of Sapphire Surface Etching Processes in a Medium-Energy Electron BeamArsen Muslimov0Vladimir Kanevsky1Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Federal Scientific Research Center Crystallography and Photonics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119333 Moscow, RussiaShubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Federal Scientific Research Center Crystallography and Photonics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119333 Moscow, RussiaSapphire crystals are widely used in optics and optoelectronics. In this regard, it is important to study the stability of crystals under external influence and the possibility of modifying their surfaces by external influence. This work presents the results of studying the processes of the action of an electron beam with an average energy of 70 keV or less under vacuum conditions on the surfaces of sapphire substrates of various orientations. The effect of etching a sapphire surface by an electron beam in vacuum at room temperature was discovered. The highest etching rate was observed for A-plane sapphire (the average pit etching rate was 10<sup>−6</sup> µm<sup>3</sup>/s). It was shown that the rate of etching of a sapphire surface increased many times over when gold is deposited. An in situ method for studying the process of etching a sapphire surface using cathodoluminescence analysis was considered. Possible mechanisms of sapphire etching by a beam of bombarding electrons were considered. The results obtained could be important in solving the problem of the stability of sapphire windows used in various conditions, including outer space. In addition, the proposed method of metal-stimulated etching of a sapphire surface can be widely used in patterned sapphire substrate (PSS) technology and further forming low-dislocation light-emitting structures on them.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/4/1332patterned sapphire substrateelectron etchinggoldcathodoluminescent analysisanisotropylight-emitting diodes
spellingShingle Arsen Muslimov
Vladimir Kanevsky
Cathodoluminescent Analysis of Sapphire Surface Etching Processes in a Medium-Energy Electron Beam
Materials
patterned sapphire substrate
electron etching
gold
cathodoluminescent analysis
anisotropy
light-emitting diodes
title Cathodoluminescent Analysis of Sapphire Surface Etching Processes in a Medium-Energy Electron Beam
title_full Cathodoluminescent Analysis of Sapphire Surface Etching Processes in a Medium-Energy Electron Beam
title_fullStr Cathodoluminescent Analysis of Sapphire Surface Etching Processes in a Medium-Energy Electron Beam
title_full_unstemmed Cathodoluminescent Analysis of Sapphire Surface Etching Processes in a Medium-Energy Electron Beam
title_short Cathodoluminescent Analysis of Sapphire Surface Etching Processes in a Medium-Energy Electron Beam
title_sort cathodoluminescent analysis of sapphire surface etching processes in a medium energy electron beam
topic patterned sapphire substrate
electron etching
gold
cathodoluminescent analysis
anisotropy
light-emitting diodes
url https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/4/1332
work_keys_str_mv AT arsenmuslimov cathodoluminescentanalysisofsapphiresurfaceetchingprocessesinamediumenergyelectronbeam
AT vladimirkanevsky cathodoluminescentanalysisofsapphiresurfaceetchingprocessesinamediumenergyelectronbeam