Investigation of thermal recovery behavior in hydrogen-implanted SrTiO3 using high energy ion beam techniques

Damage accumulation, recovery process, and the influence of hydrogen on the recovery process have been investigated in single crystal SrTiO3 irradiate d with low-energy (40 keV) H+ using in-situ hydrogen nuclear reaction analy sis (NRA) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry/channeling (RBS/C) tec hniques. Samples were irradiated at a temperature of 120 It with ion fluenc es of 5.0 x 10(16) and 1.0 x 10(17) H+/cm(2). For annealing temperatures up to similar to 470 K, isochronal annealing results indicate increasing diso rder on the Sr, Ti, and O sublattices with temperature in the vicinity of t he implanted hydrogen for low fluences of 5.0 x 10(16) H+/cm(2). Annealing this sample above 570 K. resulted in the cleavage of the entire irradiated surface. On-the-other-hand, high-temperature isochronal annealing results f or 1.0 x 10(17) H+/cm(2) fluence show an increase in the backscattering yie ld across the penetration depth of the implant hydrogen due to the formatio n of hydrogen blisters. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.