Diamond cone arrays with controlled morphologies formed by self-organized selective ions sputtering

Controlled preparation of nanoscale materials and the underlying mechanisms are essential issues nowadays. Here, we report a significant subtractive formation process of large-area diamond conical nanostructure arrays using a hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) system with negative biasing of the substrates, and the etching effect of energetic ions on the formation of diamond cone arrays with controlled morphology has been studied in detail. It shows that methylic ions dominantly contribute to diamond cone formation based on a neutral-ion charge exchange collision model. The self-organized selective sputtering process of as-formed hillock bottoms on a roughened surface by low energetic ions plays a key role for the formation and development of diamond cones. The cone morphologies under various experimental parameters are systematically studied, and they nicely confirm and supplement the as-established cone formation mechanism.

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