Russian Federation

Abstract. The present review concentrates on the fabrication of metal nanoparticles in sapphire matrix by ion implantation and their modification by laser annealing. This approach is promising for the development of optical composite materials in the optoelectronics production technology. Composite layers were fabricated in sapphire by implantation of 40-keV Cu+ ions at a dose of 1.0.1017 ion/cm2 and an ion beam current density varying from 2.5 to 10 µA/cm2. The composites were examined by different methods: Rutherford backscattering (RBS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical spectroscopy. It is shown that ion implantation is suited for creation of copper nanoparticles in the near-surface sapphire layer. However, the nanoparticle size distribution in this layer is nonuniform. An interaction of high power excimer laser pulsed with fabricated com-posite layer aimed to modify the sizes and the size distribution of copper particles. It is found that the laser annealing diminishes nanoparticles in the sapphire. Experimental data on laser modi-fication may be explained by photofragmentation and/or melting of the nanoparticles in the sap-phire matrix. 1