Application of cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy in the characterization of ion beam processed materials surfaces

Ion-beam-mixing-induced amorphization of Ni-Ti bilayered thin film and the amorphization of α-SiC through ion bombardment have been studied by employing cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy techniques. Rutherford backscattering analysis was employed to monitor the mixing of Ni-Ti bilayer as a function of dose of 1 MeV Au+ ions. Formation of a buried amorphous layer was obtained in α-SiC by ion bombardment with 2.5 MeV Ni+ at a dose of 1 x 1016 ions cm-2. Double energy implants were employed to obtain 1.8 μm thick continuous amorphous layer on the surface of α-SiC. Also, it has been shown that α-SiC pieces with amorphous surface layers joined better than those with as received crystalline surface layers. (author)