Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 March 2011
The formation of nanovoids in Si(100) and MgO(100) by 3He ionimplantation has been studied. Contrary to Si in which the voids aregenerally almost spherical, in MgO nearly perfectly rectangular nanosizevoids are created. Recently, the 2D-ACAR setup at the Delft PositronResearch Center has been coupled to the intense reactor-basedvariable-energy positron beam POSH. This allows a new method of monitoringthin layers containing nanovoids or defects by depth-selectivehigh-resolution positron beam analysis. The 2D-ACAR spectra of Si with aburied layer of nanocavities reveal the presence of two additionalcomponents, the first related to para-positronium (p-Ps) formation in thenanovoids, and a second one most likely related to unsaturated Si-bonds atthe internal surface of the voids. The positronium is present in excitedkinetic states with an average energy of 0.3 eV. Refilling of the cavitiesby means of low dose 3He implantation (1×1014 cm−2) followed by annealing reduces the formation of Ps andthe width of the Ps peak in the ACAR spectrum. This width reduction is dueto collisions of Ps with He atoms in the voids. In MgO, p-Ps formed with aninitial energy of ~3 eV shows a final average energy of 1.6 eV atannihilation due to collisions with the cavity walls. Possibilities of thisnew, non-destructive method of monitoring the sizes of cavities and theevolution of nanovoid layers will be discussed.