Ordering of gas bubbles during light ion gas implantation

Abstract

There have been interesting observations about ordering of microstructures during irradiation. The formation of void lattices is amongst the better known examples. Ordering has also been observed in small gas filled bubbles formed during low energy light ion implantation in the energy range 30–100 keV.

The basic underlying mechanism for ordering of gas bubbles has not been clearly understood so far. We identify in this paper a basic instability in the growth kinetics of such bubbles which can develop during irradiation. This instability is shown to be associated with the interstitial production due to the high pressure inside these bubbles and their differential bias due to the strain field interactions with vacancies and interstitials. It is shown that such an instability leads to a selection of a wavelength scale which agrees with the observed lattice parameter.