  Enhanced diffusion of gold atoms into silicon substrate has been studied in
Au thin films of various thicknesses (2.0, 5.3, 10.9 and 27.5 nm) deposited on
Si(111) and followed by irradiation with 1.5 MeV Au2+ at a flux of 6.3x10^12
ions cm-2 s-1 and fluence up to 1x10^15 ions cm-2. The high resolution
transmission electron microscopy measurements showed the presence of gold
silicide formation for the above-mentioned systems at fluence greater than
equal to 1x1014 ions cm-2. The maximum depth to which the gold atoms have been
diffused at a fluence of 1x10^14 ions cm-2 for the cases of 2.0, 5.3, 10.9 and
27.5 nm thick films has been found to be 60, 95, 160 and 13 nm respectively.
Interestingly, at higher fluence of 1x1015 ions cm-2 in case of 27.5 nm thick
film, gold atoms from the film transported to a maximum depth of 265 nm in the
substrate. The substrate silicon is found to be amorphous at the above fluence
values where unusually large mass transport occurred. Enhanced diffusion has
been explained on the basis of ion beam induced, flux dependent amorphous
nature of the substrate, and transient beam induced temperature effects. This
work confirms the absence of confinement effects that arise from spatially
confined structures and existence of thermal and chemical reactions during ion
irradiation.
