Materials surface modification by reactive gas-ion bombardment: low-energy irradiation

Abstract Several problems of materials modification by low-energy reactive gas-ion bombardment are considered. On single and multi-component systems and on single and multi-phase materials the possibility of deep penetration of gas atoms into metals forming dispersively spread secondary phase precipitates at high ion fluences and the possibility of surface relief change due to chemical compound formation and preferable or selective sputtering effects are shown. The equipment for low-energy ion-beam treatment and for reactive ion mixing and several examples of application of the methods are briefly described.