Retention and thermal release behavior of deuterium and helium implanted in SiC

Abstract Retention and release of ion implanted deuterium (D) and helium (He) in silicon carbide (SiC) were studied with respect to damage accumulation and annealing behavior using ion beam analysis techniques. α-SiC single crystals were irradiated by 10 keV D2+ and He+ at 300 and 770 K, and depth profiles of retained atoms and lattice disorder were measured during the implantation and successive heat treatments. For the sample pre-irradiated with He at a fluence of 1.0 × 1021 ions/m2, the thermal release of D atoms was completed at an annealing temperature of 1370 K, while the retained D atoms still remained in the sample without pre-irradiation. In contrast to the facilitated thermal release of D by He pre-irradiation, the He release temperature increased in the sample followed by D ion implantation. No significant difference of He retention and damage accumulation behavior was observed between the samples implanted at 300 and 770 K. The D retention and D-ion-induced disorder for 770 K implantation, was reduced to approximately 1/2 comparing to that of the sample implanted at 300 K. The D retention at 770 K was not affected by the He pre-implantation induced damage.