Irradiation of a tin oxide nanometric powder with swift heavy ions

Tin oxide nanometric powders have been irradiated with swift heavy ions (Ar, Cd, Ta, Pb and U) and observed by high resolution electron microscopy (HREM). Except for Ar ions, cylindrical tracks are visible. The mean track radius is all the more important since the electronic stopping power Se is high. Furthermore, the high-Se ions (Ta, Pb and U) create cylindrical holes, while in the case of Cd irradiations, a crystal-like contrast remains in the core track. Cylindrical holes correspond to a local zone where the maximum temperature calculated using the thermal spike model exceeds the boiling point. For Cd ion irradiations, a sputtering process is investigated. ” 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.