ANNEALING OF ION-BEAM AMORPHIZED DIAMOND SURFACES STUDIED BY IN-SITU ELECTRON-SPECTROSCOPY

In the present work the effect of annealing an amorphized diamond (100 ) surface by 0.5 keV Ar irradiation was investigated in situ using ele ctron spectroscopy. The recovery of the damaged layer to an sp(2), gra phitic-like, carbon network structure was traced by the effect of heat treatment in the range 300-1200 K on the C(KLL) lint shape, electron energy loss (EEL) and secondary electron emission (SEE) spectra. The a nalysis suggests that the graphitization of the damaged layer is a the rmally activated process. From a quantitative analysis of the EEL spec tra measured as a function of annealing time at 600 K, the graphitizat ion process of the damaged layer was Found to Follow a first-order kin etic process with activation energy of approximately 178 kJ mol(-1).