Nanocomposites formed by ion implantation: Recent developments and future opportunities

Ion implantation is a versatile and powerful technique for forming many types of nanocrystalline precipitates em bedded in the near-surface region of a wide variety of crystalline and amorphous host materials. The unique optical, electronic and magnetic properties of these nanocomposites has stimulated considerable recent research interest. In this review, we discuss recent developments in the field as well as some of the problems that currently hinder the potential applications of nanocomposites formed by ion implantation. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.