Antioxidation effect of coatings prepared by helium-ion implantation of copper surfaces

The antioxidation effect of a shallow alloying layer introduced by ion implantation is inadequate for many oxidizable metals, limiting its application in antioxidation technology. In this work, the feasibility of preparing an antioxidation coating using ion implantation is explored with the aim of producing copper (Cu) surfaces with strong antioxidation properties. A coating consisted of amorphous carbon and silica is prepared on a Cu surface by helium-ion implantation with pump oil. The formation of the coating is attributed to the bombardment effect of ion implantation and ion beam scanning, which dissociates the bonds of the precursor coating material and drives the redistribution of dissociated species on the Cu surface. During He+ implantation, the C-C and C-O bonds are more likely to break down, resulting in the formation of amorphous carbon. The Si and O combine to form silica because of the high bonding energy of Si-O. The prepared coating exhibits a strong antioxidation effect by blocking the diffusion of Cu cations and enhancing the adhesion of the overlying oxidized film to the substrate. This study demonstrates the feasibility of preparing antioxidation coatings using ion implantation, which could advance the application of ion implantation in antioxidation technology and Cu in microelectronics.