Introduction

Ion implantation has been investigated with the intention of beneficially modifying surface sensitive properties since the early 1970s. A large share of the early work in this field was performed at Harwell, the UK Atomic Energy Establishment, with an emphasis on (i) tribological properties as modified by nitrogen implantation and (ii) oxidation resistance. Subsequently, several other laboratories worldwide became engaged in ion implantation research, and the range of topics explored expanded to cover other topics and substrates (i.e., ceramics and polymers). Interests started turning to the hybrid technique combining concurrent ion bombardment and physical vapor deposition in the early 1980s, and it continues to the present (1995).

Ion implantation – advantages and limitations of the technique

Ion implantation for the controlled modification of surface sensitive properties has had two principal thrusts: (i) as a metallurgical tool for studying basic mechanisms in areas such as aqueous corrosion, high-temperature oxidation, and metallurgical phenomena (e.g., impurity trapping); and (ii) as a means of beneficially modifying the mechanical or chemical properties of materials. This chapter includes examples of both usages, and will review the present status of some of the most active research fields outside of the semiconductor area. Table 14.1 shows a compilation of material properties influenced by ion implantation.

Some of the advantages and limitations of ion implantation in comparison with other surface treatments, such as coatings, are listed in Table 14.2.