PHENOMENOLOGICAL MODEL OF ION IRRADIATION EFFECTS ON THE POSSIBILITIES OF DIAMOND NUCLEATION ENHANCEMENT

The possibilities of diamond nucleation enhancement during a PVD proce ss involving simultaneous carbon deposition and ion irradiation are in vestigated via a phenomenological model including processes of carbon adsorption, sputtering and formation of activated sites of nucleation. The kinetics of the development of the surface topography is studied on the basis of the stochastic-nature processes of sputtering and depo sition. It is shown that in the case of high deposition and low sputte ring rates the maximum of the distribution of activated atoms is locat ed on the sides of the surface microstructures, During irradiation by high-energy heavy ions, where sputtering prevails, the deposition of a ctivated carbon atoms is found to be maximum on the top of microstruct ures. The theoretical conclusions are in qualitative agreement with CV D experimental ones, showing that diamond nucleation preferentially oc curs on the edges of surface topography. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A .