Ion beam modification of diamond

Diamond can be modified by ion implantation either through the damage inflicted on the crystal during the slowing down of the ions in the material or by doping effects due to the presence of the implanted foreign atoms in the matrix. Both are of basic and technological importance. The response of diamond to implantation-induced damage is most interesting and instructive, since information on the behaviour of native defects and on the competition between sp2 and sp3 bonding in the material can be obtained. The conclusions drawn from studies on implantation-damaged and annealed diamond are therefore relevant to the basic understanding of defects in diamond and hence also to the understanding of diamond film growth. The present paper reviews the current status of ion beam modifications of diamond, summarizing both fundamental and applied aspects of the field. The potential uses of ion implantation into diamond for electronic, tribological and material synthesis applications are discussed.