Ion‐beam and laser mixing of nickel overlayers on silicon carbide

TLDR: In this article, the authors investigated ion-beam and laser mixing of Ni overlayers on silicon carbide substrates using cross-section and analytical techniques of electron microscopy, and ion scattering and channeling techniques.

Abstract: We have investigated ion‐beam and laser mixing of Ni overlayers on silicon carbide substrates using cross‐section and analytical techniques of electron microscopy, and ion scattering and channeling techniques. The thickness of the overlayers was varied from 200 to 500 A on both crystalline and polycrystalline substrates of silicon carbide. The thickness of the ion‐beam mixed region was found to increase with increasing dose of the implanted ions. The laser mixing was obtained only within a critical window of the pulse energy density (1.15±1.25 J cm−2) of a ruby laser (wavelength 0.693 μm, and pulse duration 28×10−9 s). The structure of the mixed region was found to be amorphous, with occasional presence of crystalline nickel silicide (Ni2Si) islands. The laser‐mixed SiC specimens showed a considerable improvement (>35%) in their fracture strength.