Electron-irradiation-induced gold atom implantation into silicon carbide

Abstract

Abstract Bilayer films of Au(target atom)/α-SiC (substrate) were irradiated with 2 MeV electrons in an ultra-high voltage electron microscope (HVEM), with the electron beam incident on the gold layer. With this irradiation, gold atoms were successfully implanted into the substrate. The implantation process was studied by a combination of HVEM and AES. (1) Irradiation with 2 MeV electrons first induces a crystalline-to-amorphous transition in the α-SiC substrate. (2) Gold atoms which have been knocked-off from the gold layer by the collision with 2 MeV electrons are then injected into the resultant amorphous SiC. (3) The injected gold bonds preferentially with silicon that has uncoupled bonds, and new bonding states are formed between them. (4) With continued irradiation, the gold atoms repeat displacement due to knocking with 2 MeV electrons and subsequent bonding with new silicon atoms which have uncoupled bonds. The repetition of the displacement and the subsequent bonding results in the deep implantati...