Effects of ion implantation on nano-topographic properties

It is well known that surface properties at nano-scale are determinant in a number of applications, such as sensors, biomedical and optical devices. Nevertheless, relations between surface treatment parameters and their effects on topography at the nano-scale, surface energy or light reflectivity are often poorly understood. In this study, a non fluorescent glass material (Knittel) was selected and subjected to ion implantation treatments with different parameters and species, including Ar, Ne, C, N, CO and NH2. The resulting surface topography at the nano-scale was studied by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and the surface energy was evaluated with the contact angle method. Additionally, the modifications induced on optical properties, i.e. reflection, were evaluated with two different wavelength lasers. The results showed remarkable differences in surface nano-topographies and contact angles (from 15° to 70°) that were obtained. Furthermore, the effects of ion implantation parameters had also very significant consequences on background noise effects, of great importance for optical properties. It was found that the best implantation treatment corresponded to N2 + ions implanted to a dose of 3×1017 ions/cm2 at an energy of 30 keV. This treatment resulted in a adequate contact angle, producing a nano-textured surface with potential features for a good attachment and orientation of deposited bio-molecules, and a very low background fluorescence, hence allowing a high degree of scanning sensitivity, for application on DNA microarrays. The study has shown that ion implantation represents a powerful tool for modifying key properties on surfaces that play an important role in the response elicited on living tissue and bio-molecules, which is notoriously relevant for the application as bio-sensors.