Electron and X-Ray Photon Radiation Effects on Surfaces of Lead Silicate Glasses

Abstract

AbstractRadiation effects on insulators have been extensively studied in terms of radiation induced damage. However, little work has concentrated on in situ surface modification during irradiation and the evolution of surface relaxation after the termination of irradiation. In this work, 1.3 keV electrons and 1.2536 keV Mg Kα X-ray photons were applied to investigate radiation effects on surface structural changes during irradiation and relaxation. The microstructure and composition of lead silicate glass were investigated in situ in an ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) environment by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Similar surface radiation effects were observed using both types of radiation which included permanent metallic lead separation from the glass network resulting from Pb-O bond breaking, bimodal distribution of the 0 is XPS signal due to bridging and non-bridging oxygens, gradual increase of total lead and silicon concentrations and gradual decrease of oxygen concentration during relaxation. Different radiation effects for electron beam and X-ray photons were also observed. For photon irradiation, silicon and lead continuously accumulated while the oxygen on the surface continuously decreased during irradiation and relaxation. In the case of electron irradiation, both silicon and lead were depleted from the surface during irradiation and accumulated during relaxation. Opposite concentration changes were observed for oxygen; it increased during irradiation and decreased during relaxation. The experimental results are discussed in terms of charge effects, secondary electron yield, field-enhanced diffusion, non-bridging oxygens and nucleation of metallic lead.