RBS and nuclear reaction analysis of boron implanted copper

Abstract

Formation of surface alloy layers produced in copper by implantation of 40 keV boron ions has been analyzed using nuclear reaction and RBS techniques. The boron concentration profiles determined using the very sharp low energy (p, α) nuclear resonance reaction are broader and at larger depth than predicted by LSS theory. Channeling analyses in combination with angular scans using both nuclear reaction and RBS techniques, yield no evidence for boride compound formation, and there is no preferential site occupation for the implanted boron. The radiation induced damage distributions are determined from RBS channeling analysis. The disorder level is low and characterized by a “knee” extending to large depth. There is no evidence of amorphization as might be anticipated at high boron concentrations. This observation is in agreement with TEM analysis of implanted polycrystals.