RECOIL IMPLANTATION AND ION-BEAM-INDUCED COMPOSITION CHANGES IN ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS

Recoil implantation of an homogeneous alloy results in distinctly different composition changes after low- and high-fluence ion bombardment. An enrichment is found near the surface in the heavier component at low fluence and in the lighter component at high fluence. In the absence of preferential sputtering, recoil implantation leads to a sputtered flux that is enriched in the heavier component. The estimated net transport of matter by recoil implantation is shown to be consistent with recent experimental observations.