NANOMETER-SIZE DISPERSIONS OF IRON IN SAPPHIRE PREPARED BY ION-IMPLANTATION AND ANNEALING

Some of the metal ions implanted into sapphire (single crystal alpha-A l2O3) are often present as metallic colloids or dispersions. Nano-comp osites consisting of iron particles in sapphire were prepared by impla ntation of 160 keV Fe-56 at room temperature. The colloids were coarse ned by annealing in the temperature range of 973-1673 K in a reducing atmosphere. Rutherford backscattering-ion channeling (RBS-C) and trans mission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to determine the lattice d amage as well as the nature, size and distribution of the iron. A rang e of particle sizes and shapes can be obtained by choice of implantati on and/or annealing parameters. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rig hts reserved.