Chemically bonded diamond films and method for producing same

Abstract

This invention comprises a method by which a carbon based film is deposited by ion beam deposition upon and chemically bonded to a substrate article. The carbon based film deposited by the method of this invention comprises an atomic initial layer, adjacent to and chemically bonded by carbide bonding to the substrate surface, which is overgrown by a carbon layer that assumes the true diamond microstructure or, alternatively, a carbon structure which more closely approximates the microstructure and physical, chemical and electrical properties of true diamond than has heretofore been attained by prior diamond-like films. The method by which the chemically bonded diamond or diamond-like film is deposited upon a substrate comprises: positioning an electrically grounded substrate having an atomically clean surface within a deposition chamber maintained at a pressure of 1.times.10.sup.-9 torr or less and impinging upon the atomically clean substrate surface a .sup.12 C.sup.+ ion beam having a beam energy in the range 10-300 eV and using a dose no greater than that defined by region AB of FIG. 1 in order to form a carbon layer bound to said substrate by carbide bonding; thereafter the .sup.12 C.sup.+ Ion beam is increased in dose to a level at least as great as that defined by of region BC of FIG. 1 and impingement of such .sup.12 C.sup.+ ion beam on the substrate is continued for a time sufficient to overlay said substrate carbide bonded carbon layer with a diamond layer of the thickness desired.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.