Fabrication of metal-dielectric nanocomposites using a table-top ion implanter

A miniature low-voltage vacuum spark is an effective facility for creating composite layers in a dielectric matrix, including metal clusters, which have numerous optical applications. The results of studies of the optical characteristics of alkali-halide crystals (LiF and KCl) irradiated with beams of accelerated metal ions, which are emitted by a small-sized, low-voltage (2.5 kV) and low-energy (10 J) vacuum spark and a high-voltage (50 kV) pulsed ion implanter are presented. In both cases, composite layers of metal nanoparticles and/or molecular clusters are formed at submicrometer depth when irradiating these crystals. The low voltage implant method produces similar optical effects as seen in crystals processes at much higher energies. This result shows the possibility of creating a desktop metal ion implanter for various applications. •An alkali-halide crystal substrate was exposed by a beam of metal ions emitted by a small-sized and low-voltage vacuum spark.•Composite layers of a sub-micrometer depth containing metal particles were obtained.•These layers exhibit luminescent properties, close to those of the layers obtained using a high-voltage ion implanter.•However, a difference was found in the ejection spectra of these layers.•This difference is supposedly due to the difference in the energy spectra of ion beams emitted by these sources.