Fullerenelike arrangements in carbon nitride thin films grown by direct ion beam sputtering

Carbon nitride (CNx) thin films were grown by direct N-2/Ar ion beam sputtering of a graphite target at moderate substrate temperatures (300-750 K). The resulting microstructure of the films was studied by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The images showed the presence of curved basal planes in fullerenelike arrangements. The achievement and evolution of these microstructural features are discussed in terms of nitrogen incorporation, film-forming flux, and ion bombardment effects, thus adding to the understanding of the formation mechanisms of curved graphitic structures in CNx materials. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics

Overpressurized bubbles versus voids formed in helium implanted annealed silicon

The formation of helium induced cavities in silicon is studied as a function of implant energy (10 and 40 keV) and dose (131015, 131016, and 531016 cm22). Specimens are analyzed after annealing (800 °C, 10 min) by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and elastic recoil detection (ERD). Cavity nucleation and growth phenomena are discussed in terms of three different regimes depending on the implanted He content. For the low (131015 cm22) and high (531016 cm22) doses our results are consistent with the information in the literature. However, at the medium dose (131016 cm22), contrary to the gas release calculations which predict the formation of empty cavities, ERD analysis shows that a measurable fraction of the implanted He is still present in the annealed samples. In this case TEM analyses reveal that the cavities are surrounded by a strong strain field contrast and dislocation loops are generated. The results obtained are discussed on the basis of an alternative nucleation and growth behavior that allows the formation of bubbles in an overpressurized state irrespective of the competition with the gas release process

Amorphous clusters in Co implanted ZnO induced by boron pre-implantation

We demonstrate the formation of superparamagnetic/ferromagnetic regions within ZnO(0001) single crystals sequently implanted with B and Co. While the pre-implantation with B plays a minor role for the electrical transport properties, its presence leads to the formation of amorphous phases. Moreover, B acts strongly reducing on the implanted Co. Thus, the origin of the ferromagnetic ordering in local clusters with large Co concentration is itinerant d-electrons as in the case of metallic Co. The metallic amorphous phases are non-detectable by common X-ray diffraction

Ferromagnetism and suppression of metallic clusters in Fe implanted ZnO -- a phenomenon related to defects?

We investigated ZnO(0001) single crystals annealed in high vacuum with respect to their magnetic properties and cluster formation tendency after implant-doping with Fe. While metallic Fe cluster formation is suppressed, no evidence for the relevance of the Fe magnetic moment to the observed ferromagnetism was found. The latter along with the cluster suppression is discussed with respect to defects in the ZnO host matrix, since the crystalline quality of the substrates was lowered due to the preparation as observed by x-ray diffraction

Focused ion beam tomography of zirconia degraded under hydrothermal conditions

Three-dimensional tomography was performed on hydrothermal degraded zirconia by sequential focussed ion beam (FIB) sectioning and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) observation. By means of image analysis the distribution of microcracks produced under the surface was reconstructed and characterized. Results show a microcrack network preferentially oriented parallel to the surface, and a gradient in microcrack density from the surface, which is coherent with other measurements that reveal a decrease in monoclinic phase. The elastic properties of the reconstructed volume are simulated, showing that the deterioration of mechanical properties of degraded zirconia can be mainly attributed to microcracking, with a minor contribution of the phase transformation.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Overpressurized bubbles versus voids formed in helium implanted annealed silicon

The formation of helium induced cavities in silicon is studied as a function of implant energy (10 and 40 keV) and dose (131015, 131016, and 531016 cm22). Specimens are analyzed after annealing (800 °C, 10 min) by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and elastic recoil detection (ERD). Cavity nucleation and growth phenomena are discussed in terms of three different regimes depending on the implanted He content. For the low (131015 cm22) and high (531016 cm22) doses our results are consistent with the information in the literature. However, at the medium dose (131016 cm22), contrary to the gas release calculations which predict the formation of empty cavities, ERD analysis shows that a measurable fraction of the implanted He is still present in the annealed samples. In this case TEM analyses reveal that the cavities are surrounded by a strong strain field contrast and dislocation loops are generated. The results obtained are discussed on the basis of an alternative nucleation and growth behavior that allows the formation of bubbles in an overpressurized state irrespective of the competition with the gas release process

Focused ion beam tomography of zirconia degraded under hydrothermal conditions

Three-dimensional tomography was performed on hydrothermal degraded zirconia by sequential focussed ion beam (FIB) sectioning and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) observation. By means of image analysis the distribution of microcracks produced under the surface was reconstructed and characterized. Results show a microcrack network preferentially oriented parallel to the surface, and a gradient in microcrack density from the surface, which is coherent with other measurements that reveal a decrease in monoclinic phase. The elastic properties of the reconstructed volume are simulated, showing that the deterioration of mechanical properties of degraded zirconia can be mainly attributed to microcracking, with a minor contribution of the phase transformation.Peer Reviewe