Ion beam modification of ceramics

Ion-solid interactions that occur during ion bombardment of solids are nonequilibrium in nature; however, the response of a specific material may be governed by thermochemical and thermodynamic factors. Defects are created during irradiation by the elastic and inelastic collisions of the bombarding ions with the target atoms (ions). The types of defects that exist after the cascade cool-down period may be determined by chemical factors. In many cases, the introduction of a defect or an impurity ion must be done in a manner that maintains electrical neutrality; consequently, charged point defects or impurity-point defect complexes are often produced. This paper reviews the structural features of implanted ceramics using sapphire (single crystal α-Al2O3) as an example of a ceramic with largely ionic bonding and silicon carbide (6H α-SiC) as one with covalent bonding.