Diamond Processing by Focused Ion Beam - Surface Damage and Recovery

TL;DR

This study investigates how focused ion beam processing damages diamond surfaces and demonstrates that hydrogen plasma treatment and etching can recover NV- luminescence, enhancing diamond photonic applications.

Contribution

It provides new insights into surface damage mechanisms and recovery methods for diamond nano-photonic structures processed by FIB.

Findings

Hydrogen plasma and etching reduce Ga implantation.

NV- emission recovers after surface treatment.

NV-/NV0 ratio significantly increases post-treatment.

Abstract

The Nitrogen Vacancy color center (NV-) in diamond is of great interest for novel photonic applications. Diamond nano-photonic structures are often implemented using Focused-Ion-Beam (FIB) processing, leaving a damaged surface which has a detrimental effect on the color center luminescence. The FIB processing effect on single crystal diamond surfaces and their photonic properties is studied by Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) and photoluminescence (PL). Exposing the processed surface to hydrogen plasma, followed by chemical etching, drastically decreases implanted Ga concentration, resulting in a recovery of the NV- photo-emission and in a significant increase of the NV-/NV0 ratio.