Conversion of fullerenes to diamond

DETAILED DESCRIPTION What is claimed is: 1.
A method of forming synthetic diamond on a coated substrate surface having an initial coating selected from the group consisting of fullerene and diamond comprising the step of: (a) supplying fullerenes to an ionization source; (b) creating a vapor of said fullerenes by heating said fullerenes in said ionization source in a vacuum chamber; (c) ionizing fullerene molecules in said vapor of fullerenes by at least one of the procedures of laser ablation, electron bombardment, electron attachment or photoionization to fullerene ions; (d) accelerating said fullerene ions to energies of about 250 eV to 2.
5 keV to form a fullerene ion beam; (e) impinging said fullerene ion beam on said substrate surface and fragmenting said fullerene ions; and (f) continuing said steps (a)-(e) to grow a diamond film on said coated substrate surface.
2.
The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said substrate surface is maintained at a temperature of about 50.
degree.
-500.
degree.
C.
3.
The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said fullerene in said step (b) is heated to about 500.
degree.
-600.
degree.
C.
4.
A method of forming synthetic diamond on a substrate surface having an initial coating selected from the group consisting of fullerene and diamond comprising the steps of: (a) supplying fullerenes to an ionization source; (b) creating a vapor of said fullerenes from said fullerenes positioned in said ionization source; (c) ionizing fullerene molecules in said vapor of fullerenes to form fullerene ions; (d) accelerating said fullerene ions to energies of at least about 250 eV to form a fullerene ion beam; (d) impinging said fullerene ion beam on said coated substrate surface; and (f) continuing said steps (a)-(e) to obtain grow a diamond film on said coated substrate surface.




Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to methods for the conversion of fullerenes to diamond or diamond films.
More particularly, the invention is concerned with the manufacture of nonhydrogenic fullerenes as precursors for the synthesis of diamond or diamond-like films