Evidence of deuterium re-trapping by boron after electron beam dissociation of B–D pairs in diamond

In order to clarify the mechanism responsible for the dissociation of B–D complexes in diamond, electron-beam exposure of deuterated boron-doped diamond was carried out and followed in situ at low temperatures (10–100 K). We show that, in addition to the dissociation process, a re-trapping phenomenon of deuterium by boron is observed at T < 90 K. The nature of this re-trapping is investigated and an experimental protocol to evaluate the exact dissociation rate of B–D complexes under e-beam at low temperatures is discussed.