Improved photoelectrochemical response of haematite by high energy Ag9+ions irradiation

Haematite (?-Fe2O3) thin films deposited on a conducting glass substrate were irradiated with 120?MeV Ag9+ ions with increasing ion fluences. Their structural evolution was determined by x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The irradiation of the samples of ?-Fe2O3 was found to be effective in improving its photoelectrochemical response. The film irradiated at a fluence of 1 ? 1013?ions?cm?2 showed a significantly higher photocurrent density than the unirradiated ?-Fe2O3. This effect is correlated with the transition from the ?-Fe2O3 to the Fe3O4 phase and the reduction in grain size that were observed on irradiation with Ag9+ ions. The measured flatband potential and donor density of the sample were also maximum at a fluence of 1 ? 1013?ions?cm?2.