Formation of Al-Based Intermetallic Compound under Ion Implantation at Lower Temperature

The formation process of intermetallic compound under Ni+ion implantation into pure Al was studied at lower temperature below room temperature. Ion implantation was carried out using 250KeV ion accelerator. Cascade damage was introduced Ni+ions implantation at 223K without new phase nucleation. However, when Ni+ions were implanted at room temperature, the grown larger plate-like phases were observed during implantation up to 1x1017 Ni+/cm2. Ni concentration in Al matrix and newly formed phase were 0.3-0.5 and 8.5-13.3at%,respectively. It was identified that the formed phases were close to the ordered orthorhombic structure of Al3Ni type. It was also confirmed from observation with high resolution HVEM that these phases grew with continuous ion implantation. Thus it was clarified that cascades act as preferential nucleation site for intermetallic compound, and the phases nucleated at cascades coalesce in the growth process of each phase during continuous implantation through ion irradiation enhanced diffusion.