Surface preparation of aluminum for lon implantation

In order to study the effect of ion implantation on the corrosion behavior of aluminum, it is important to insure that the implanted surface is free from surface irregularities that could shadow portions of the surface from the ion beam and thereby produce anomalous corrosion behavior. A chemical-mechanical sample preparation technique, employed prior to ion implantation, is presented. Electrochemical tests used to determine the pitting corrosion resistance of aluminum and ion-implanted aluminum indicated that shadowing is not a problem. The thickness of the oxide film after polishing was approximately 3.4 nm. Oxide thicknesses were determined using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. The root mean square surface roughness, determined by an optical technique that uses the total intergrated scattered light, was measured at 7.4 ± 0.5 nm.