The creation of Hg interstitials during ion implantation was found to depend strongly upon the preferred lattice position of the implanted element. Those elements that were introduced into the cation sub-lattice created significantly more interstitials than did elements that were introduced interstitially or into the anion sub-lattice. In particular, the implantation of column-II elements (Mg, Zn) produced much higher interstitial concentrations than did the implantation of column-VI elements (S, Se). The implantation of B, which was present mainly as an interstitial, produced Hg interstitial concentrations which were intermediate between the results for column-II and column-VI ions. Recoils from implanted damage also contributed to Hg interstitial formation during higher-mass (Zn, Se) ion implantation, but appeared to have a negligible effect upon interstitial generation during the implantation of lighter ions.

B.L.Williams, H.G.Robinson, C.R.Helms: Applied Physics Letters, 1997, 71[5], 692-4