Preface

During the past 50 years ion beam technologies have been proven to be powerful tools in the continuously growing field of materials science. Ion beams are used for tailoring the physical and chemical properties of thin films, surfaces and interfaces. Nanostructures can be formed or modified and nanocomposite materials can be synthesised with new properties which do not exist in natural materials. In the past two decades very high-energy ion beams from accelerators usually used for nuclear and particle research became available with the parameters making them suitable for materials science. This stimulated intensive research and the use of so-called swift heavy ions in ion-beam based materials science received much attention. This was an important step to fulfil the demand for modifying more thick or buried layers. Moreover, the research in materials science with swift heavy ions induced new applications as for instance the controlled shaping of embedded nanoparticles, which could not be imagined beforehand. Besides its use in various device technologies, ion beams play an important role in a number of other fields. Examples for that are materials research and treatment of radioactive waste in nuclear fission and fusion technologies, optimization of prosthetic components and the use of ion beams in cancer treatment. Additionally, ion-beam based analytical techniques are very important not only in materials science but also in environmental studies and in the field of preservation of cultural heritage. Ion irradiation of solids has two main effects: the introduction of foreign atoms and the energy deposition into the material. The specific application of ion beams requires a thorough knowledge of the interactions of the energetic ions with the corresponding material. These interactions determine the depth at which the ions come to rest and cause structural modifications in the material (radiation damage). The radiation damage measured after ion irradiation depends on the primary energy deposition of the ions and the external irradiation conditions and is characteristic for a given material. In some cases radiation damage results in useful changes of materials properties but typically the damage has to be reduced or removed by subsequent annealing processes in order to achieve the desired results. The choice of suitable methods for damage annealing often strongly depends on the kind and