Conditions for formation of germanium quantum dots in amorphous matrices by MeV ions: Comparison with standard thermal annealing

We investigate how MeV ions with different ion-beam parameters (ion type, electronic stopping power, and velocity) influence the formation, arrangement, and ordering quality in three types of (Ge + SiO2)/SiO2 multilayer films. The multilayers differ in total thickness, Ge-rich layer thickness, and Ge content. The results show that the most important parameter for structural manipulation with MeV ions is the electronic stopping power S-e. Ion velocity is found to be another crucial parameter, while at the same time it can be seen that the multilayer type does not play an important role. The temperature increase within the ion tracks is estimated using the thermal spike model and cluster separation distribution. The structural changes produced by ion beams and estimated temperatures are compared to those obtained by standard thermal annealing. It is concluded that the estimated temperatures within the ion tracks are in excellent agreement with the annealing temperatures and with the structural changes observed in the irradiated multilayers. Furthermore, a characteristic parameter of the temperature profile that presents the model-predicted temperature increase is determined for which the structural changes caused by ion beams are comparable to those achieved by standard annealing.