PLASMA-ENHANCED CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITED DIAMOND THIN FILMS FOR TRIBOLOGICAL AND OPTICAL MATERIALS

A SYSTEMATIC MEANS IS BEING DEVELOPED TO RELIABLY DEPOSIT OPTICAL-AND/OR TRIBOLOGICAL-QUALITY DIAMOND THIN FILMS ON SUBSTRATES RELEVANT TO STRATEGIC DEFENSE NEEDS. TO ACHIEVE THIS OBJECTIVE, THE CONDITIONS OF THIN FILM DIAMOND SYNTHESIS BY ELECTRON-ASSISTED PLASMA-ENHANCED CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITS ARE BEING CORRELATED WITH THE RESULTING AS-DEPOSITED MICROSTRUCTURE (GRAIN SIZE AND ORIENTATION). CORRELATION BETWEEN MICROSTRUCTURE AND GROWTH CONDITIONS IS ENABLING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PREDICTIVE GROWTH MODEL. THE RESEARCH IS FOCUSING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A THEORETICAL MODEL FOR CONTROLLED THINFILM GROWTH BY WAY OF EXPERIMENTAL DEMONSTRATION AND ANALYTICAL VERIFICATION OF RESULTANT FILMS. RESULTING APPLICATIONS INCLUDE: LITHOGRAPHY MASKS, IR/UV SENSOR SHIELDS, UV-OPTICS, RADIATION HARD OPTICAL FIBERS, SENSORS FOR HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS, LASER CAVITY WINDOW,AND SPECTROSCOPE WINDOWS. IN ADDITION, DIAMOND COULD BE USED AS HIGH DAMAGE/HEAT THRESHOLD OPTICAL ELEMENTS, AS HARD OR ABRASION/ABLATION RESISTANT COATINGS ON SENSITIVE OPTICS (E.G., LENSES, MIRRORS, AND RADOMES), OR AS WINDOWS FOR HIGH ENERGY GAS LASER SYSTEMS AND FRAGILE OPTICAL DEVICES SUCH AS HOLOGRAPHIC OPTICAL ELEMENTS.