Implantation-induced structural changes in evaporated amorphous Ge

Abstract

The short-range structure of amorphous germanium in the as-evaporated state and after Sb-ion implantation was investigated by x-ray diffraction. Significant changes were detected in the structure factors of the two specimens. Reverse Monte Carlo analyses of both data were carried out. An increase of 12--15 % in the atomic number density due to implantation was established. The diffraction data are consistent both with an atomic arrangement where the originally defective structure becomes nearly perfect as a consequence of the ion bombardment, or with the formation of a new phase of a-Ge with an average first coordination number higher than 4.