Ion beai induced epitaxial crystallization (IBIEC) in preaiorphized BP(100) has been investigated by RBS channeling experiients. Re-crystallization was induced by subsequent ion boibardients with 400 keV Kr, 400 keV Ar and 800 keV Ar at temperature range between 200°C and 450°C. The current densities of Kr and Ar ions were selected to give the saie energy deposition rate in the elastic collision process. Epitaxial crytallization was observed at teiperatures luch below those required for the therial solid phase epitaxy (SPE) process (above 800°C). The critical temperature for crystallization at typical current densities was 230°C. The ion species used for the preaiorphization give a weak influence on the regrowth rate. On the scale of deposited energy density in the elastic collisions, ion boibardients with higher electronic excitation efficiency were found to be effective in the regrowth process. Dose rate is found to be of iiportance in the regrowth process. The activation energy observed in Ar ion boibardients was 0.18±0.05 eV.

The solid phase reactions of Ni thin films with refractory wide bandgap semiconductor BP(100) were investigated both in the thermal process and the ion beam induced process with RBS, AES, XRD and XPS. In the thermal reaction process, reactions of Ni thin films with BP started around 350°C. Transient metastable phases were observed between 400°C and 450°C. The formation of the fully reacted crystalline phase with the mixture of NiB and Ni3P was observed at 450°C. At elevated temperatures above 600°C, mixture of phases with less Ni content was found to be formed. For the ion beam induced process inhomogeneous reaction was observed at LN2 and the reaction at RT showed an amorphous phase with the same composition as the first thermal phase. The reaction at 200°C induced the same crystalline phase as the first thermal phase. The reacted layer thickness as a function of the ion beam fluence between RT and 300°C increased linearly with the fluence by showing the thermal dependence with an activation energy of Ea=O.31±O, O6eV above 100°C.