Entrapment and thermal stability of low energy Argon implanted into diamond studied by in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermal programmed desorption

The retention and thermal stability of Ar implanted into polycrystalline diamond surfaces with 700 and 5000 eV Ar ions, with high dose (HD) and low dose (LD) of 1016 and 1014 ions/cm2 at room temperature (RT) and 400 degrees C were investigated. Upon implantation at 400 degrees C, the thermal stability of the retained Ar is very high and can exceed 1000 degrees C, whereas, upon RT implantation at the same energy, it is below similar to 800 degrees C. Ar entrapped in a local high crystalline diamond environment possesses a very high thermal stability compared to when it is entrapped in a graphite/amorphous local carbon environment. Ar thermal desorption occurs via diffusion between local defects, greatly enhanced between 600 and 700 degrees C. Implantation at 400 degrees C (at HD) results in two distinct regions: graphitic and highly crystalline diamond with low defect density due to dynamic annealing and direct desorption of Ar entrapped within the graphitic/damaged region during the implantation. Ar entrapped in a high crystalline diamond matrix is under higher compressive stress than in graphitic/amorphous carbon.

Automated summary

The retention and thermal stability of Ar implanted into polycrystalline diamond surfaces with 700 and 5000 eV Ar ions, at high dose (HD) and low dose (LD) of 1016 and 1014 ions/cm2, were investigated at room temperature (RT) and 400 degrees C. It was found that the thermal stability of the retained Ar is higher at 400 degrees C than at RT, with stability exceeding 1000 degrees C. Ar trapped in a high crystalline diamond environment has higher thermal stability than in a graphite/amorphous carbon environment. The desorption of Ar occurs through diffusion between local defects, and is greatly enhanced between 600 and 700 degrees C.