INVESTIGATION OF WATER DIFFUSION INTO QUARTZ USING ION-BEAM ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES

Diffusion of water into quartz was studied by measuring H and O-18 con centration profiles in surface layers of quartz samples treated hydrot hermally in the range of 125 degrees C to 200 degrees C. Sample surfac es were orientated normal to the c-axis. The measurements were perform ed using the nuclear reactions H-1(N-15,alpha gamma)C-12 and O-18(p,al pha)N-15. The diffusion profiles have widths of up to 500 nm. Diffusio n rate constants derived from the profiles are in the range of 10(-15) cm(2)/s to 10(-18) cm(2)/s and show a distinct temperature dependence , yielding a rough estimate of about 60 kJ/mole for the activation ene rgy.