Volume expansion of diamond during ion implantation

A study was made of the volume expansion obtained during ion implantation of 170-keV fluorine ions into diamond under ambient temperature. By concluding that the expansion is not related to the onset of amorphization or graphitization of the ion-damaged layer, a simple theoretical description of the phenomenon could be developed taking into account only the creation and interaction of the point defects resulting from the collision cascades. The results support the view that the so-called ''amorphous'' layers obtained in diamond under these implantation conditions are primarily vacancy-rich regions which to a large extent retain their diamond characteristics in skeletal form. © 1986 The American Physical Society.