Abstract
Epitaxial Ag(1 1 1) thin films (∼125 nm) have been grown on Br-passivated Si(1 1 1) surfaces under high vacuum. Growth features observed from XRD, RBS/channeling and TEM/TED experiments are comparable to those grown under UHV conditions. RBS/channeling measurements on the Ag layer showed a minimum yield ( χ min) of 62% indicating a poor crystalline quality. We irradiated the Ag(1 1 1) layer with 1 MeV Si + at fluences of 5×10 15 and 1×10 16 ions/ cm 2 with the substrate at room temperature and an ion current density of 50 nA/cm 2. Following irradiation, the measured χ min values are 40% and 38%, respectively, indicating an improvement in crystalline quality of the Ag layer. This behaviour is also seen in thermal annealing upto 500 ∘C due to some grain boundary melting. In thermal annealing at ⩾600 ∘C desorption of Ag occurs leaving holes in the Ag layer. Morphology of the annealed layer has been analyzed with RBS/PIXE studies with an ion microbeam of He + ions.
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