Irradiation of ionic liquid ion beams on silicon and glass substrates

Irradiation of an ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIM-PF6) ion beam on borosilicate glass and single crystalline Si(100) surface was demonstrated by using an ionic liquid ion source we developed. Surface smoothing on the glass substrates was produced by the irradiations at an acceleration voltage of 4 kV with both positive and negative ion beams, which include cation–anion pairs attached to a single ion of either polarity. Water contact angle measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that the surface smoothing was probably caused by surface modification involving nano-ordered chemical etching by Si–F reaction, implantation and deposition of P, N and C