Polycrystalline films with different diamond qualities, prepared by mi
crowave chemical vapour deposition (MWCVD) and hollow cathode arc plas
ma CVD, were post-treated by normal neon ion bombardment at low energi
es (100-1600 eV). The bombardment caused various ion-solid interaction
s, resulting in erosion and modification of the diamond surface. In ad
dition, the estimation of the etching rates and, consequently, the spu
ttering yields, topography and structure modification were studied usi
ng scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy respectively. M
ore details of the ion bombardment effects on the films should be inve
stigated by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy in connec
tion with electron energy loss spectroscopy at the C K edge. The exper
imental results show ion-energy- and film-quality-dependent etching ef
fects-up to threshold energies-for surface topography modification. Tw
o different algorithms were used to approximate the ion-induced damage
depths in polycrystalline diamond from about 10 angstrom (100 eV) up
to about 70 angstrom (1600 eV), which are important for layer applicat
ion. The results are discussed in the light of a two-step process caus
ed by ion bombardment.