Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy of individual Ions implanted into Carbon Nanostructures

该研究提案是一项试点研究，使用电子能量损失光谱结合原子分辨率高角度暗场成像，在专用STEM（达雷斯伯里SuperSTEM）中跟踪植入纳米结构材料的单个掺杂剂原子的“命运”，并继续申请人先前对碳纳米管和石墨烯的工作（后者与曼彻斯特的Geim小组合作）。这是一项原理验证研究，直接显示注入过程后原子的基本行为，它们的结合和键合，损伤和缺陷复合物的形成。离子注入在硅技术中一直是一种非常重要的技术，并且可能很快应用于纳米结构的可控和选择性掺杂。就基础研究而言，石墨烯构成了一个模型系统;没有更好地显示高能离子撞击的结果，以及使用离子注入进行掺杂的能力。它还使人们能够揭示原子掺杂剂的网站和复合物，并将它们与已建立的理论模型进行比较。此外，石墨烯的掺杂对于电子和传感器应用具有很大的希望。其他越来越重要的材料系统，将需要控制掺杂，是碳纳米管（纳米电子）和纳米金刚石（电子和生物医学应用），我们的研究将包括这些以及。这三种材料体系被认为是下一代功能材料。因此，本初步研究的目的是双重的：首先，我们要毫无疑问地证明，单离子可以沿着它们的边缘精细结构进行光谱检测，其次，我们要研究配位（包括损伤，即，掺杂剂-缺陷复合物）。.高度局部化的研究是了解离子注入基本特性的创新方法;这里建议的实验只能在像SuperSTEM这样的仪器中进行（即，具有像差校正的扫描探针）。

This research proposal is a pilot study to follow the 'destiny' of individual dopant atoms implanted into nanostructured materials using electron energy loss spectroscopy in combination with atomic resolution high angle dark field imaging, in a dedicated STEM (the Daresbury SuperSTEM), and carries on from previous work on carbon nanotubes and graphene (the latter in collaboration with Geim's group at Manchester) by the applicant. It is a proof-of-principle study to directly show fundamental behaviour of atoms after an implantation process, their incorporation and bonding, formation of damage and defect complexes. Ion implantation has long been a technology of immense importance in Si-technology and might soon be applied to controlled and selective doping of nanostructures. As far as fundamental research is concerned, graphene constitutes a model system; there is none better to show the result of energetic ion impact, and the capability of using ion implantation for doping. It also enables one to reveal atomic dopant sites and -complexes, and to compare them with established theoretical models. Doping of graphene, furthermore, bears great promise for electronic and sensor applications. Other increasingly important matertials systems that will require controlled doping, are carbon nanotubes (for nano-electronics) and nano-diamond (for electronics and bio-medical applications), and our study will include these as well. These three materials systems are considered next generation functional materials.Hence, the aim of this pilot study is two-fold: firstly we want to prove beyond doubt that single ions can be detected spectroscopically along with their edge fine structure, and secondly we want to study the coordination (including damage, i.e., dopant-defect complexes) in the atomic lattice, of a single ion, post implantation. . Highly localised investigations are an innovative approach to understand the fundamental properties of ion-implants; the experiments suggested here can only be conducted in an instrument like the SuperSTEM (i.e., with an aberration corrected scanned probe).