Transmission-electron microscopy study of ion-beam implanted single-crystal ceramics

The microstructural changes in single-crystal MgO following implantation with 200 keV Xe+ ions, at a range of ion fluences, have been studied using transmission-electron microscopy (TEM) and selected-area diffraction (SAD). By the application of a novel specimen preparation technique, the microstructure of the implanted specimen can be observed directly, without the possibility of introducing artifacts which may arise during conventional methods of post-implantation specimen preparation for TEM analysis. At low ion fluences the microstructure remained crystalline and the damage was confined to small point-defect clusters and dislocation networks. At higher ion fluences, > 5 × 102ions/cm2, solid noble-gas inclusions were identified by examination of SAD patterns and evidence was obtained for recrystallization from an amorphous phase. © 1991.