Formation of MoS2 phase in Al2O3, ZrO2, and SiO2 through ion implantation of constituent elements

Abstract
Polycrystalline α‐Al2O3 and yttria‐stabilized ZrO2 substrates were coimplanted with 175‐keV Mo+ and 74‐keV S+ at doses of 1×1017 and 74‐keV S+ and 2×1017 cm−2, respectively. An amorphous SiO2 substrate was coimplanted with 175‐keV Mo+ and 74 keV S+ at doses of 4.97×1016 and 1.02×1017 cm−2, respectively. The energies of Mo+ and S+ ions were chosen to obtain a nearly overlapping depth profiles in all three substrates. Transmission electron microscopy, Rutherford backscattering, and Auger electron spectroscopy techniques were used to characterize the ion‐implanted materials. The formation of MoS2 phase was observed in the as‐implanted condition as well as after annealing at 700 °C in all substrates. Thermodynamic calculations were performed to predict the equilibrium binary phase formed in Al2O3, ZrO2, and SiO2 under the present implantation and annealing conditions. The predictions agree with the experimental findings.