Near-surface nucleation and crystallization of an ion-implanted lithia-alumina-silica glass

Abstract

Surface crystallization of a Au+-ion-implanted lithia-alumina-silica glass has been realized. Annealing of a glass sample implanted with 285-keV Au+ ions at 550 °C results in the growth of colloidal Au particles of 18–35-Å radius. The Au particles constitute sites for the precipitation of lithium metasilicate crystals at 550 °C. Further annealing at 750 °C allows the growth of quartz and β-spodumene crystals. The crystallized surface obtained after the high-temperature anneal was characterized by a Knoop microhardness number of 626, which is of the order of that obtained for commerical volume-crystallized glass-ceramics of similar composition.