Optical effects of ion implantation

Ion implantation is a powerful technique for surface analysis and material modification and this review discusses the effects that specifically relate to optical properties of insulators. By selection of ion energy and ion dose one can inject trace impurities that control luminescence, generate optical absorption bands or complex defect aggregates, stimulate production of new crystalline phases or destroy crystallinity. Implantation invariably stimulates luminescence which provides a sensitive means of analysis to measure purity and near-surface defect concentrations. Post-implantation measurements reveal changes in many physical and chemical properties of the materials. Some, such as chemical reactivity, can increase a thousandfold, others such as birefringence, electro-optic and acoustic wave parameters are reduced. One major property which can be controlled is the refractive index; thus optical waveguides, and ultimately, complex integrated optical devices can be precisely defined by ion implantation.