Improving the Water Durability of a Heavy Metal Fluoride Glass by Oxygen Ion Implantation

Abstract

A typical heavy metal fluoride glass composed of 53ZrF₄-20BaF₂-4LaF₃-3AlF₃-20NaF in molar percentage was implanted with 15keV oxygen ions to the dose of 2×10¹⁷ions/cm². The ion implantation did not affect the transmission spectra of the glass in the infrared or visible region in any detectable extent, although it did give rise to a slight drop at the ultraviolet edge. The surface layer fabricated by ion implantation exhibited excellent chemical durability which protected the glass from being corroded by water. Surface characterizations by RBS and XPS revealed that an oxyfluoride layer was formed on the glass surface and it is concluded that this compositional modification is responsible for the improvement in the water durability of the glass.