EFFECT OF HIGH-ENERGY ION-IMPLANTATION ON SAPPHIRE

We have studied the capability of controlling optical characteristics by forming a modified layer in a substrate using high energy ion implantation. Cu+ ions were irradiated into sapphire (0001) with acceleration energies of 0.75 approximately 1.5 MeV and fluences of 1 x 10(15) approximately 1 x 10(18) ions/cm2. Then, the ion-implanted sapphire was annealed. A new absorption peak appeared at 360 nm by ion implantation, and the transmittance became lower with increasing fluence. The decrease in the transmittance was recovered and the absorption peak shifted to 580 nm after annealing at 1000-degrees-C. We have been able to confirm that the change of the optical characteristics was due to the change of electronic state of the implanted copper.