Near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure study of bonding modifications in BN thin films by ion implantation

Abstract

Near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) has been used to study the defect content and the bonding modifications induced in BN thin films by ion implantation. The initial films were hexagonal-like BN grown on Si(100) by pulsed laser deposition. Subsequent ion implantation with N2+ at 180 keV induces the formation of a significant proportion of sp3 bonding (cubic-like), and the formation of nitrogen void defects in the remaining sp2 BN. These modifications in the bonding of a film lacking long range order can only be distinguished with a local order technique like NEXAFS.