Ions of the radioactive isotope, 197mHg, were implanted into thin-film samples using an energy of 60keV and a fluence of 1013/cm2. The behavior of Hg in the lattice was studied at temperatures of up to 890K, in vacuum or under an O atmosphere, using perturbed angular correlation techniques. It was found that the Hg ions occupied unique lattice sites and were bound to 2 apical O atoms. It was noted that Hg diffusion occurred only at annealing temperatures greater than 653K in vacuum. The Hg migration energy was estimated to be 1.58eV.

Stability and Diffusion of Hg-Implanted YBa2Cu3O6. J.P.Araujo, J.G.Correia, U.Wahl, J.G.Marques, E.Alves, V.S.Amaral, A.A.Lourenco, V.Galindo, T.Von Papen, J.P.Senateur, F.Weiss, A.Vantomme, G.Langouche, A.A.Melo, M.F.Da Silva, J.C.Soares, J.B.Sousa: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 1999, 148[1-4], 807-12