Conversion of fullerenes to diamonds
OwnerDieter M. Grueninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of forming synthetic diamond or diamond-like films on a substrate surface. The method involves the steps of providing a vapor selected from the group of fullerene molecules or an inert gas/fullerene molecule mixture, providing energy to the fullerene molecules consisting of carbon-carbon bonds, the energized fullerene molecules breaking down to form fragments of fullerene molecules including C.sub.2 molecules and depositing the energized fullerene molecules with C.sub.2 fragments onto the substrate with farther fragmentation occurring and forming a thickness of diamond or diamond-like films on the substrate surface.
Claims7
A method of forming synthetic diamond or diamond-like films on a substrate having a substrate surface covered with a coating selected from the group consisting of fullerene and diamond, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a vapor selected from the group consisting of fullerene molecules and an inert gas and fullerene molecules, said fullerene molecules consisting of carbon-carbon bonds;
- (b) providing means for imparting energy to said fullerene molecules consisting of carbon-carbon bonds;
- (c) exposing said vapor of fullerene molecules, consisting of carbon-carbon bonds to said means for imparting energy;
- (d) transferring said energy from said means for imparting energy to said vapor of fullerene molecules consisting of carbon-carbon bonds to form energized fullerene molecules;
- (e) said energized fullerene molecules breaking down to form fragments of said fullerene molecules, including forming C.sub.2 molecules;
- (f) depositing said energized fullerene molecules, including said fragmented C.sub.2 molecules, on said substrate with further fragmentation of said energized fullerene molecules occurring and causing formation of a thickness of diamond or diamond-like film on said substrate surface;
- and
- (g) continuing said steps (a)-(f) to obtain a thickness for said diamond or diamond-like film on said substrate surface.
A method of forming C.sub.2 molecules suitable for forming a diamond film or a diamond-like film on a substrate surface covered with a coating selected from the group consisting of fullerene and diamond, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a vapor selected from the group consisting of fullerene molecules and an inert gas and fullerene molecules ,said fullerene molecules consisting of carbon-carbon bonds;
- (b) providing means for imparting energy to said fullerene molecules consisting of carbon-carbon bonds;
- (c) exposing said vapor of fullerene molecules, consisting of carbon-carbon bonds, to said means for imparting energy;
- (d) transferring said energy from said means for imparting energy to said vapor of fullerene molecules consisting of carbon-carbon bonds;
- and
- (e) forming fragmented carbon molecules from said energized fullerene molecules, including forming C.sub.2 molecules suitable for deposition on said substrate surface to form the diamond or diamond-like film.
A method of forming synthetic diamond or diamond-like films on a substrate having a substrate surface covered with a coating selected from the group consisting of fullerene and diamond, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a vapor selected from the group consisting of fullerene molecules and an inert gas and fullerene molecules;
- (b) providing means for imparting energy to said fullerene molecules;
- (c) exposing said vapor of fullerene molecules to said means for imparting energy;
- (d) transferring said energy from said means for imparting energy to said vapor of fullerene molecules to form energized fullerene molecules;
- (e) said energized fullerene molecules breaking down to form fragments of said fullerene molecules, including forming C.sub.2 molecules;
- (f) depositing said energized fullerene molecules, including said fragmented C.sub.2 molecules, on said substrate with further fragmentation of said energized fullerene molecules occurring and causing formation of a thickness of diamond or diamond-like film on said substrate surface;
- and
- (g) continuing said steps (a)-(f) to obtain a thickness for said diamond or diamond-like film on said substrate surface.
A method of forming synthetic diamond or diamond-like films on a substrate having a substrate surface covered with a coating selected from the group consisting of fullerene and diamond, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a vapor selected from the group consisting of molecules of fullerene, an inert gas and molecules of fullerene and an inert gas and carbon containing molecules;
- (b) providing means for imparting energy to said molecules
- (c) exposing said vapor of molecules to said means for imparting energy;
- (d) transferring said energy from said means for imparting energy to said vapor of molecules to form energized molecules;
- (e) breaking down said energized molecules to form fragments of said molecules, including forming C.sub.2 molecules;
- (f) depositing said energized molecules, including said fragmented C.sub.2 molecules, on said substrate with fragmentation of said energized molecules occurring and causing formation of a thickness of diamond or diamond-like film on said substrate surface;
- and
- (g) continuing said steps (a)-(f) to obtain a thickness for said diamond or diamond-like film on said substrate surface.
A method of forming C.sub.2 molecules suitable for forming a diamond film or a diamond-like film on a substrate surface covered with a coating selected from the group consisting of fullerene and diamond, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a vapor selected from the group consisting of molecules of fullerene and an inert gas and molecules of fullerene and carbon containing molecules, said molecules comprising carbon-carbon bonds;
- (b) providing means for imparting energy to said molecules comprised of carbon-carbon bonds;
- (c) exposing said vapor Of molecules to said means for imparting energy;
- (d) transferring said energy from said means for imparting energy to said vapor of molecules;
- and
- (e) forming fragmented carbon molecules from said energized molecules, including forming C.sub.2 molecules suitable for deposition on said substrate surface to form the diamond or diamond-like film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.