Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 March 2011
Single crystalline colorless α-Al2O3 samples wereimplanted with several fluences of Fe+ ions in the range of 1×1016 to 5×1017 Fe+ cm-2 atroom temperature. Optical absorption and luminescence measurements werecarried out before and after annealing in reducing and oxidizingatmospheres. The structural changes were studied with RBS/channeling andx-ray diffraction. After implantation, the damage induces a brownishcoloration in the samples for fluences below 2×1017 Fe+ cm-2. The optical spectra are characterized byan absorption band centered at 200 nm. This band is strongly reduced afterannealing at 1100 °C in reducing atmosphere and a new well-defined banddevelops around 350 nm. This new band shifts to lower values with theimplanted fluence, which is an indication of its correlation with thedimensions of the iron precipitates formed in the implanted region. Theexistence of these precipitates was confirmed by x-ray diffraction and TEM.The samples implanted with fluences above 1×1016 Fe+ cm-2 annealed in oxidizing atmosphere display differentoptical absorption spectra, with respect to those annealed in reducingatmosphere, characterized by an increase in the intensity of the peak at 200nm. Luminescence measurements show the presence of F and F+centers in the samples. The existence of these defects can be explained bythe need of charge compensation and strain release due to the formation ofmixed iron oxide or metallic precipitates.