The migration of O in ion-beam amorphized α-quartz was investigated by means of nuclear reaction analysis: using the resonant reaction, 18O(p,α)15N, for O depth-profiling. Only very small amounts of O were observed to diffuse in crystalline or in Xe+ ion-beam amorphized α-quartz after high-temperature annealing. Marked migration of O occurred in Cs+-implanted α-quartz within the same temperature range (600 to 900C). The Cs diffused out of the amorphized layer, and epitaxial recrystallization occurred. The results revealed a strong correlation between the processes. A mechanism was proposed in order to explain the observed in-diffusion of 18O, and linked it to Cs migration.

Oxygen Migration during Epitaxial Regrowth in Cs+-Irradiated α-Quartz Investigated by Means of Nuclear Reaction Analysis. F.Roccaforte, F.Harbsmeier, S.Dhar, K.P.Lieb: Applied Physics Letters, 2000, 76[25], 3709-11