Formation of Al3Ta by Ta ion implantation into aluminum using a metal vapor vacuum arc ion source

The intermetallic compound Al3Ta was directly formed by Ta ion implantation into aluminum with a current density of 64 μA/cm2 using a metal vapor vacuum arc ion source at a dose of 3 × 1017 ions/cm2. With increasing Ta ion dose, the content of the Al3Ta phase increased. At a dose of 7 × 1017 ions/cm2, the Ta-aluminide layer was about 350 nm thick. The aluminide layer played a significant role in enhancing the surface hardness of the Al matrix.