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Tailoring and investigation of surface chemical nature of virgin and ion beam modified muscovite mica
Author(s) -
Bhowmik Dipak,
Karmakar Prasanta
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.6636
Subject(s) - mica , muscovite , sputtering , overlayer , aluminosilicate , adsorption , ion , x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , layer (electronics) , silicon , nitride , materials science , analytical chemistry (journal) , ion beam , chemistry , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , thin film , metallurgy , quartz , organic chemistry , engineering , biochemistry , chromatography , catalysis
We report that the surface chemical properties of muscovite mica [KAl 2 (Si 3 Al)O 10 (OH) 2 ] like important multi‐elemental layered substrate can be precisely tailored by ion bombardment. The detailed X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies of a freshly cleaved as well as 12‐keV Ar + and N + ion bombarded muscovite mica surfaces show immense changes of the surface composition due to preferential sputtering of different elements and the chemical reaction of implanted ions with the surface. We observe that the K atoms on the upper layer of mica surface are sputtered most during the N + or Ar + ions sputtering, and the negative aluminosilicate layer is exposed. Inactive Ar atoms are trapped, whereas chemically reactive N atoms form silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) and aluminum nitride (AlN) during implantation. On exposure to air after ion bombardment, the mica surface becomes more active to adsorb C than the virgin surface. The adsorbed C reacts with Si in the aluminosilicate layer and forms silicon carbide (SiC) for both Ar and N bombarded mica surfaces. Besides the surface chemical change, prolonged ion bombardment develops a periodic ripple like regular pattern on the surface.