Micro and nano-patterning of single-crystal diamond by swift heavy ion irradiation

TL;DR

This study investigates how swift heavy ion irradiation creates controlled surface patterns in single-crystal diamond by inducing buried structural damage and swelling, expanding understanding beyond light ion effects.

Contribution

First report of surface patterning in diamond using heavy ion irradiation, with systematic modeling linking surface swelling to buried damage for customized microfabrication.

Findings

Surface swelling ranges from a few nm to over 200 nm.

Good agreement between phenomenological models and experimental data.

Potential for designing highly customized diamond microstructures.

Abstract

This paper presents experimental data and analysis of the structural damage caused by swift-heavy ion irradiation of single-crystal diamond. The patterned buried structural damage is shown to generate, via swelling, a mirror-pattern on the sample surface, which remains largely damage-free. While extensive results are available for light ion implantations, this effect is reported here for the first time in the heavy ion regime, where a completely different range of input parameters (in terms of ion species, energy, stopping power, etc.) is available for customized irradiation. The chosen ion species are Au and Br, in the energy range 10-40 MeV. The observed patterns, as characterized by profilometry and atomic force microscopy, are reported in a series of model experiments, which show swelling patterns ranging from a few nm to above 200 nm. Moreover, a systematic phenomenological modelling is presented, in which surface swelling measurements are correlated to buried crystal damage. A comparison is made with data for light ion implantations, showing good compatibility with the proposed models. The modelling presented in this work can be useful for the design and realization of micropatterned surfaces in single crystal diamond, allowing to generate highly customized structures by combining appropriately chosen irradiation parameters and masks.