The kinetics of high dose oxygen implantation and of surface sputtering in silicon are investigated by atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, transmission electron holography, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. The implantation was performed into accurately defined submicrometer areas. The behavior of the erosion rate as a function of the implantation dose proved to be nonmonotonic. After native oxide sputtering, a period dominated by (i) implantation of oxygen and (ii) induced oxide formation with volume increase takes place, causing a maximum surface step around the bombarded area of about 1.1 to 1.3 nm at bombardment doses below 2 x 10(16) O+ cm(-2). Subsequently, higher doses cause a sputtering of the surface with a sputter yield of about 0.32 Si atoms/O+. Electron holography revealed the double layer character of the implanted region, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy, especially near the relevant Si-L-23 ionization edge, identified these two layers which are (i) amorphous silicon oxide and (ii) amorphized silicon. Electron energy-loss line scans show the oxygen distribution inside the implanted areas with a lateral resolution of about 1-2 nm. It was found that the interface between the oxidized layer and the amorphized silicon sharpens with increasing implantation dose. (C) 2004 American Vacuum Society.