The use of ion beams for the modification of the structure and properties of the near-surface region of ceramics began in earnest in the early 19805. Since the mechanical properties of such materials are dominated by surface flaws and the surface stress state, the use of surface modification tech­ niques would appear to be an obvious application. As is often the case in research and development, most of the initial studies can be characterized as cataloging the response of various ceramic materials to a range of ion beam treatments. The systematic study of material and ion beam parameters is well underway and we are now designing experiments to provide specific information about the processing parameter - structure-property rela­ tionships. This NATO-Advanced Study Institute was convened in order to assess our current state of knowledge in this field, to identify opportunities and needs for further research, and to identify the potential of such processes for technological application. It became apparent that this class of inorganic compounds, loosely termed ceramics, presents many challenges to the understanding of ion-solid inter­ actions, the relationships among ion-beam parameters, materials parameters, and the resulting structures, as well as relationships between structure and properties. In many instances, this understanding will represent a major extension of that learned from the study of metals and semiconductors.

I. Introduction and Fundamentals.- Properties Of Ceramics and their Study by Computer Simulation Methods....- Disorder, Randomness, and Amorphous Phases.- The Displacement Cascade in Solids.- Ion Energy Dissipation and Sputtering during Bombardment of Multicomponent Materials.- Mechanisms of Ion Beam Mixing.- Ion Beam Mixing Of Metals and Ceramics - Material Considerations.- The Role of Chemical Driving Forces in Bombardment-Induced Compositional change.- II. Ion-Beam Produced Microstructures.- Defect Creation In Ion Bombarded Ceramics.- Ion Beam-induced Crystalline to Amorphous Transformations in Ceramic Materials.- Ion Beam Mixing At Metal/A1203 Interfaces.- Ion Beam Mixing of Fe in Si02: Structural and Optical Properties.- Ion-Beam Alloying and Thermochemistry of Ceramics at High Temperatures.- Mossbauer Spectroscopy of Iron Implanted In Zirconia.- Ion Irradiation Studies of Oxide Ceramics.- Furnace Annealing of Sapphire Surfaces Amorphised by Ion Implantation.- III. Properties of Ion-Beam Modified Ceramics.- The Mechanical Properties of Ion Implanted Ceramics.- Tribological Properties of Ion Beam Modified Ceramics at Elevated Temperatures.- Thin Film and Near Surface Characterization Using Indentation Systems.- Tribological Properties of Ceramics Modified by Ion Implantation and by Ion Beam-Assisted Deposition of Organic Material.- Modified Pull Test for the Testing of Very Adherent Films.- Ion Irradiation of Polymer-Derived Graphitic Carbons.- Chemical Properties of Ion Implanted Ceramics.- Effects of Ion Beam Processing on Optical Properties.- Characterization of Planar Optical Waveguides in Ion-Implanted Quartz.- Fabrication of Electrooptical Waveguides by Means of Ion Implantation.- Ion Implantation of Electro-Optical Ceramics.- IV. Ion-Beam AssistedDeposition.- Plasma- and Ion-Beam Assisted Physical Vapor Deposition Processes and Materials.- Ion Beam Assisted Deposition of Thin Films and Coatings.- Ion-Beam Induced Diamond-Like Carbon Coatings.- Ion Beam Analysis and Modification of Thin-Film, High-Temperature Superconductors.- Simulation of Plasma Induced Material Damage With H-Ion Beams.- List of Participants (with address).- Author Index.