Formation of Mn-oxide clusters in Mn +-implanted SiO 2 probed by soft X-ray emission and absorption spectroscopy

Abstract

Mn +-implanted a-SiO 2-samples were studied with the help of soft X-ray emission and absorption spectroscopy (Si L 2,3 3d3s → 2p 3/2,1/2 and Mn L 2,3 3d4s → 2p 3/2,1/2 emission transitions) using synchrotron excitation. The samples were obtained using a pulsed ion source (ion beam current density ∼2-7 mA/cm 2, E impl. = 30 keV, ion fluence ∼2 × 10 17 cm -2, pulse duration 400 μs) without thermal annealing. It was established that Mn-ion provides a formal valence state 2+, so arranging in implanted a-SiO 2 the low-sized MnO antiferromagnetic clusters probably of crystalline type. The data obtained well coincides with the electronic spin resonance results reported earlier. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.