Effect of Argon Ion Bombardment on Strength of Diffusion Bonded Joints of Cu and Ti

Abstract

This study has been carried out to determine the changes in the surface of a metal which has been exposed to ion bombardment using different accelerating voltages. The work shows that joint strength depends on the accelerating voltage used during ion bombardment. When ion bombardment is carried out at accelerating voltages of up to 2 kV, there is an increase in joint strength and this depends on the removal of contaminants at the bonding surface. Argon ion bombardment at the accelerating voltages from 2 up to 5 kV results in the formation of a hard surface layer. This layer is removed by the annealing treatment of samples after argon ion bombardment. With softening of the bonding surface, the joint strength increases. The reason for the decrease in bond strength at high accelerating voltages is due to the formation of this hard surface layer. The surface annealing treatments used after ion bombardment is effective in removing any surface damage.