Modification of sol-gel thin films by ion implantation

In order to densify and to improve the physical properties, TiO₂ sol-gel films, about 100 nm in thickness, on silica glass or silicon wafer were implanted with Ar⁺ or B⁺ ions. The refractive index of the as-dried films increased and the IR absorption band of OH disappeared afterAr⁺ implantation. Drying and densification of sol-gel films were enhanced by Ar⁺ implantation. On the other hand, the refractive index and the thickness of the films hardly changed with B⁺ implantation. However, IR absorption bands of B-O bond were observed after B⁺ implantation. This suggests that sol-gel films could be chemically modified by ion implantation with reactive ion species.