Investigations of elemental depth distribution and chemical compositions in the TiO2/SiO2/Si structures after ion irradiation

The influence of noble gases ion implantation on the depth distribution of elements in the TiO2/SiO2 bilayers on the Si substrates has been investigated using the Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS). The structures were implanted by Ne+, Ar+, Kr+ or Xe+ ions with the energy of 100, 150, 200 or 250 keV. Using the SIMNRA code elemental composition and relative TiO2 and SiO2 as well as TiO2/SiO2 transition layers thicknesses were calculated for different ion species and energies. It was found that the thickness of the transition layers increased after the ion implantation. The effect is evident for Kr+ and Xe+ ions and its magnitude grows with the implanted ion energy. The chemical composition of the near-surface TiO2 layers was determined using the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) method. It was observed that the TiO and Ti2O3 concentrations increase while those of TiO2 and Ti decrease as a function of the implanted ions energy due to atomic displacement during the irradiation process. This effect could be considered as one of the reasons that affects the mixing process at TiO2/SiO2 interfaces induced by ion beam. •The atomic mixing occurred at TiO2/SiO2 bilayers interface after irradiated by noble ions with different mass and energies.•Thickness of TiO2/SiO2 transition layers increase linearly with energy, increase nonlinearly with mass of implanted ions.•The 200-keV Kr+ ions lead to maximum mixing of TiO2/SiO2 interface.•Concentration of TiO, Ti2O3 in TiO2 layers increase while that of Ti and TiO2 decrease with increasing ion energy.•ecreasing concentration of TiO2 lead to increasing deposited energy which is reflected increasing amount of mixing.