Pre-amorphization damage structures in high-energy ion-implanted material were studied. A systematic investigation was made of the dependence of the strain profile upon the local defect density in N-implanted [100] samples. Measurements were made as a function of the ion fluence for 3 implantation conditions. These were random incidence, <100> and <110> channelling. A linear dependence of the strain upon the defect concentration was confirmed by the results. An extremely low value of the proportionality factor was explained in terms of the possible formation of amorphous clusters; even at doses which were well below the amorphization threshold.

C.Cellini, A.Carnera, M.Berti, A.Gasparotto, D.Steer, M.Servidori, S.Milita: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, 1995, 96[1-2], 227-31