A discussion on the application and production of metal ion beams^a)

Metal ion beams, which are used in surface modification of metals and alloys as ion beam micrometallurgy, are promising candidates for advanced applications in semiconductors and insulators. Doping with transition metal and rare-earth metal ions in semiconductors and insulators to form metallic nanoclusters attracted much more attention recently, since their applications in diluted magnetic semiconductors, electroluminescent devices, giant magnetic resistance, etc. In this paper, some experiments for metal ion beams will be presented, and various methods and technologies for the production of metal ion beams will be discussed.