Internal Oxidation Of Sb-Implanted Silver Single-Crystals

Internal oxidation of Sb-implanted silver single crystals has been studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy in combination with ion-beam analysis. The concentration and depth distribution of oxygen were determined by using the nuclear reaction 18 O(p, α) 15 N. Strong evidence was found for the existence of an inward moving oxidation front. In crystals oxidized for less than about 5 min in −100 mbar 18 O 2 at 550 K, Sb was found to be associated with two oxygen atoms, while for oxidation times longer than 30 min this ratio was 4. Channeling experiments using the same reaction show that the oxygen atoms trapped by the Sb impurities occupy octahedral interstitial sites.