ENERGY-DEPENDENT PROTON STOPPING AND DAMAGE FORMATION IN SULFUR-DOPED ZNO: A 3D ANALYSIS OF ELECTRONIC AND NUCLEAR ENERGY LOSS

This study investigates the energy-dependent stopping behavior and damage formation of protons in sulfur-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:S) using three-dimensional energy loss analysis. The obtained 3D profiles demonstrate that proton energy strongly influences both penetration depth and the dominant stopping mechanism in the ZnO:S matrix. High-energy protons penetrate deeper into the material, where energy dissipation is mainly governed by electronic stopping through interactions with target electrons. In contrast, low-energy protons deposit most of their energy near the surface region, where nuclear stopping becomes more pronounced due to elastic collisions with lattice atoms. This near-surface energy deposition leads to localized structural damage and the possible formation of radiation-induced defects. The comparative analysis of high- and low-energy proton irradiation reveals a clear transition from deep electronic energy loss to localized nuclear damage as proton energy decreases. These results provide important insight into the radiation response of ZnO:S and may be useful for optimizing ZnO-based materials for optoelectronic, sensor, space, and radiation-resistant applications.