**Author details**

utilized for deep ion implantation purpose. It is possible to implant required ion species into required depth of samples precisely. High-energy ions have greater penetrating capabilities in

During ion implantation, ion beam induced collision cascade effect and induced surrounding heat along the path of ions tracks, which should be managed for proper ion implantation to prevent damage into the target material. In the case of uncontrolled ion beam irradiation or high current irradiation, induced ion beam produced great defects, which lead the target materials to amorphization or phase transformation. Therefore, low implantation ion beam current is advised to minimize ion beam induced local heating for prevention of amorphization or other phase transformations. Ishaq et al. successfully implanted C-atoms into BNNTs using MeV C ions through pelletron accelerator to form boron carbonitride nanotubes [13]. Whereas uncontrolled MeV ion beam implantation on crystalline silver nanowires lead to form amorphous silver nanowires [14]. Sometimes, high-energy ion implantation is required to produce defects into materials for functionalization of materials especially polymer-based materials for biological applications or enhance the absorption properties of materials [4]. For this purpose, the high current ion beam is required to create such defective structures. Additionally, these defective structures are important for different applications such as attached functional groups and enhanced sensing properties of gas sensors etc. These medium-energy ions are also explored new application in nanotechnology. Recently, tandem accelerator was employed to weld nanowires or making large area welded network of nanowires [15]. High-energy ions produce local heating along the path of ion track and at the same time collision cascade effects make a rearrangement of atoms at the junction point which results in welding of metal nanowires. Recently, Shehla et al. weld silver nanowires by medium-energy ion beam implantation [16]. More applications of medium-energy ion implanter are well presented in the proceeding chap-

**1.3. High-energy ion irradiation: range ~ 50 MeV to hundreds of MeV**

electronic excitation, and ion beam induced local heating along the ion track.

High-energy ions include protons and swift heavy ions (SHI) are usually generated and accelerated from high-energy ion beam accelerators such as a cyclotron or high potential terminal voltage tandem electrostatic accelerators, same as shown in **Figure 3**. Moreover, cyclotron produces high-energy ions with high ion currents of the order of a milliamperes, which is useful for many applications. High-energy protons, alpha particles, and deuterons are used for radioisotopes production from stable elements for medical applications. The application of SHI includes characterization of materials and modification of materials to radioisotopes production for medical treatments, etc. Atomic displacements caused by SHI irradiation produces collision cascade effects which allow the target material to modify its properties. Additionally, SHI also helps to produce structural defects in materials to change the chemical, optical, electrical, or magnetic properties. Ion beam mixing induced by SHI irradiation is another application where some thin film alloys are difficult to fabricate. Through SHI ion beam mixing, such alloys are now possible. For example, TiBe alloy thin film is difficult to fabricate through chemical or physical processes. In ion beam mixing, just make multilayer Ti and Be films through thin film coating system and irradiate SHI to mix atoms. TiBe alloy will perfectly fabricate due to collision cascade effects,

materials while maintaining a straight path.

6 Ion Implantation - Research and Application

ters of this book.

Ishaq Ahmad\* and Waheed Akram

\*Address all correspondence to: ishaq.ahmad@ncp.edu.pk

National Center for Physics, Islamabad, Pakistan

## **References**


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