ION-BEAM MODIFICATION AND DOPANT ACTIVATION IN DIAMOND

The cold implantation-rapid annealing (CIRA) technique seems to be the best route for generating doped layers in diamond. It is based on point defect engineering of the intrinsic, as well as the extrinsic defects, introduced during ion implantation. The latter is made possible by the inability of the point defects to migrate thermally at relatively modest temperatures (for example liquid nitrogen temperatures). To choose and optimize the right parameters, a thorough knowledge of the nature of the radiation defects, their thermal behaviour and interactions, is essential. An overview is given of the present status of this field, as well as the different approaches which are being considered to optimize this doping process. The latest experimental results of relevance to this ongoing study are presented, and it is shown how very high levels of dopants can be activated by means of multiple implantation-annealing sequences.