Implanted dielectrics: synchrotron radiation studies by absorption and diffraction techniques

Sequential ion implantation of two elements in dielectrics, followed by thermal annealing in controlled atmosphere, gives rise to a variety of different composite materials. The formation of either metal or semiconductor binary nanoclusters is studied by synchrotron radiation-based techniques. In particular, extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction give information on the role of different driving forces in determining the final composite structure. Some case studies are presented in detail, in particular, the AuCu and AuAg systems, while for the semiconductor composites some results are presented on GaN and GaAs systems. All samples are obtained by sequential implantation and thermal annealing in either reducing or oxidizing atmosphere.