E.A. Stepantsov – Ph.D. (Phys.-Math.), Leader Research Scientist, 

Institute of Crystallography n.a. A.V. Shubnikov, FSIC Crystallography and Photonics of RAS (Moscow, Russia)

It was studied the possibility of solid phase intergrowth of optical Y-ZrO2 crystals with preliminarily developed one of their two contacting surfaces. The developing included creation of determined relief by argon ion beam milling through a mask with determined layout. The process of solid phase intergrowth of crystals with such developed surfaces was fulfilled in the same conditions, which were used at the similar procedure for crystals with undeveloped surfaces. During the process crystal samples were put together in contact in parallel crystallographic orientation along preliminary polished and etched surfaces. Then they were heated in vacuum up to temperature 1600°С. After that they were pressed to each other up to pressure 1.4 kN/mm2 for 4 hours with further cooling with rate 10°С/min down to room temperature. Decreasing of effective square of contacting surfaces on a value of total square of etched relief picture was taken into account at calculating of compression pressure. It was found out that solid phase intergrowth on undeveloped parts of the surfaces was realized with the same result, as it was in case of solid phase intergrowth of Y-ZrO2 crystals, the contacting surfaces of which had not been developed by Ar beam milling. It was shown that nano-voids is formed at the rest parts of the contacting surfaces of crystalline specimens during their solid phase intergrowth. As a result a planar structure of nano-voids is created in a volume of a crystal, fabricated by solid phase intergrowth of two crystalline samples with preliminarily developed surface of one of them by argon beam milling through special mask. It was demonstrated that a configuration of nano-voids planar structure corresponds to a picture of the relief of the developed crystal surface with precision not worse than +/- 1 µ. By chemical etching for dislocation holes of the crystal side surfaces, which are perpendicular to a plane of a planar structure of nano-voids, it was demonstrated that during of solid phase intergrowth process plastic deformation of the material did not have place even on micro-level, corresponding to thickness of etched relief. Full absence of even weak traces of plastic deformation in the zone of crystal specimen intergrowth is an explanation of so high precision correspondance of etched relief to configuration of planar structure of nono-voids. The shown results demonstrate the possibility of creation a planar structure of nano-voids inside of a crystal, corresponding to in advance determined picture with so high precision, that it gives new possibilities in designing of photonic devices.

Stepantsov E.A. Planar structures of nanovoids in volume of a crystal. Nanotechnology: development and applications – XXI century. 2020 V. 12.  № 2. P. 5–10. DOI: 10.18127/j22250980-202002-01 (in Russian).

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