Ion beam mixing for processing of nanostructure materials

Ion beam mixing (IBM) has been used to process various nanostructure materials and thin films for applications in microelectronics and optoelectronics. In this paper, a study of alloy formation of Si-Ge, processed at shallow depths followed by oxygen implantation, is presented. The mixture is annealed to form Si-GeO₂-Si, wherein the germanium oxide may form alone or as a matrix with the source of excitation. Characterization techniques used in this study include investigations of the structural variations due to argon ion-beam irradiation by Rutherford backscattering (RBS) and shallow defects and deep trapping level states by thermoluminescence (TL) measurements. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is used to analyze the thin film/islands of GeO₂ formed in the matrix.