The mechanisms of the long-range effect in metals and alloys by ion implantation

The main features of the long-range effect in metals and alloys are studied by high-dose ion implantation. The results of a transmission electron microscopy study of the dislocation structures formed in copper by ion implantation are given as an illustration. It is shown that the long-range effect is determined by the microstructure of the initial state of the target and by the structural-phased state formed in the alloyed surface layer. A mathematical model of defect structure formation in the sublayer beneath the alloyed surface layer of the implanted target is proposed. The main principle of the model is that the dislocations under stresses in the alloyed layer are ejected from it and then move by inertia until they are stopped; the dislocation path value in the sublayer exceeds the projected ion range. The model calculations correlate well with experimental results.