Comparative study of ion implantation profiles in metals

Secondary ion mass spectrometry and glow discharge optical spectrometry are used to determine the depth profiles of Ni and Fe matrices implanted with B and P. These measurements enable the emission yields of secondary ions (for SIMS) or photons (for GDOS) emitted under ion bombardment to be quantified and consequently the implanted samples can be used as standards. The profiles obtained by both methods are in good agreement and independant of the surface roughness. They are compared to real distributions determined by Rutherford backscattering (RBS) and to theoretical ones predicted by the model of Winterbon, Sigmund and Sanders; the concentrations measured at the maximum of the distribution are smaller then the theoretical ones and the experimental profiles are wider than those given by the theory. The causes of the alterations in the profiles are discussed and the surface contamination of the samples is studied by mean of GDOS profiles.