Effects of Ag and Sr dual ions implanted into SiC

The effect of silver (Ag) and strontium (Sr) ions implanted into polycrystalline (SiC) was investigated. One batch of polycrystalline SiC wafers was implanted with 360 keV silver ions (Ag-SiC) and another implanted with 360 keV strontium ions (Sr-SiC). Both implantations were performed at 600 °C to a fluence of 2 × 10¹⁶ cm⁻². Some of the Ag- SiC samples were then implanted with Sr ions of 280 keV to a fluence of 2 × 10¹⁶ cm⁻² at 600 °C (Ag&Sr-SiC). The as-implanted samples were annealed at temperatures from 1000 to 1400 °C in steps of 100 °C for 5 h. The samples were thereafter characterised by Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA), Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Both individual and dual implantations resulted in no amorphization of the SiC. As expected, dual implantation resulted in a higher defect concentration. Subsequent Sr implantation resulted in the formation of Ag precipitates, especially around grain boundaries. Annealing the Ag-SiC and Ag&Sr-SiC samples caused the shift of implants towards the surface accompanied by loss at 1400 °C while no loss was observed in the Sr-SiC samples.