NITROGEN ION-IMPLANTATION INTO 3-DIMENSIONAL SUBSTRATES BY PLASMA SOURCE ION-IMPLANTATION

The surface modification of 304 stainless steel ball and tube, silicon wafer and titanium substrates by plasma source ion implantation (PSII ) has been investigated. The nitrogen plasma was generated by a radio frequency (13.56 MHz) glow discharge and an ECR microwave discharge. T he substrate bias voltage and current during implantation were monitor ed with a high voltage probe and a current transformer. Ions are accel erated from the plasma by a high voltage pulse (typically - 20 kV, 100 Hz, 50 mu s) applied directly to the substrates. The compositional an d structural characterization of the surface and near surface were car ried out using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and glancing angle X-ray diffraction (GXRD). The re sults show that uniform ion implantation into three-dimensional substr ates was achieved by PSTI without substrates manipulation. Furthermore ion implantation into the surface of the inside of the tube was perfo rmed. XPS and XRD measurements showed the presence of nitrides of tita nium at the implanted surface for the Ti substrates. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.