A novel phenomenon of crystallization of amorphous inorganic material caused by 23 keV synchrotron X-ray beam irradiation is reported.

The structural homogeneity of self-supported buckling Barium Titanate (BTO) membrane (0.5 µm thick and 200 µm diameter), which kept amorphous after heat treatment up to 560C, has been checked with ten micron lateral resolution synchrotron radiation (SR) microbeam of  ID11 Materials Science beamline of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. The amorphous nature of membrane was defined initially by laboratory wide angle X-ray scattering in transmission through the whole membrane area. No traces of crystalline phase were observed by optical or atomic force microscopes (AFM) as well. In the course of membrane mapping by SR, 168 two-dimensional equidistant (step size 25 µm) frames (10sec/frame) converted afterwards into standard one-dimensional X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns were obtained in transmission. All XRD patterns confirmed unequivocally that the membrane was locally amorphous.

On the other hand, after SR irradiation a new clearly seen regular configuration of spots has emerged in membrane’s optical image. The regularity of these contrast variations matches surprisingly well SR microbeam stops during mapping; this coincidence rejects any factor but SR irradiation as a reasonable cause of this pattern emergence. AFM imaging reveals that square pyramids have been appeared on the surface of amorphous BTO membrane. The AFM exposed landscape argues strongly that observed pyramids grew as a result of the membrane exposition under SR beam. Electron backscatter diffraction patterns obtained from the pyramids clearly demonstrate Kikuchi lines inherent to quite perfect single crystal.

The nature and probable mechanism of the observed phenomenon are discussed.

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