NANOSTRUCTURING BY REACTIVE ACCELERATED CLUSTER EROSION

Accelerated ionized cluster beams are used for surface nanostructuring of bulk diamond, chemically vapor deposited (CVD) diamond films, sing le-crystalline silicon, or glass, among others. Beams of CO2 clusters with about 1000 molecules per unit charge are accelerated to up to 120 keV kinetic energy for mask projective surface bombardment. Patternin g is achieved via physical as well as chemical surface erosion. Very s mooth eroded surfaces result for bulk natural diamond, silicon, and gl ass. Polycrystalline, strongly faceted CVD diamond films are effective ly planarized. Submicrometer structures with adjustable wall inclinati ons can be generated. Atomic force microscopy of isolated impact struc tures reveals hillocks instead of craters. The collective motion of th e impacted surface material is considered crucial for the cluster impa ct induced nanomodifications. (C) 1997 American Vacuum Society.