MeV N+-ion irradiation effects on α-MoO3 thin films

In this work, modifications in the structural, vibrational, optical, and surface morphological properties of 2MeV N+-ion irradiated α-MoO3 thin films are studied. Nitrogen irradiation up to the fluence of 1×1015ionscm−2 does not lead to any structural phase change. The irradiation induced formation of nanoscale defect structures at the film surface becomes more prominent at higher irradiation fluences, leading to the enhancement in the optical absorption behavior of the irradiated films. The possible role of energy loss process in the mechanism of modifying the surface morphology has been discussed.