Optical properties of femtosecond laser-treated diamond

A laser-induced periodic surface structure (LIPSS) has been fabricated on polycrystalline diamond by an ultrashort Ti:Sapphire pulsed laser source (λ = 800 nm, P = 3 mJ, 100 fs) in a high vacuum chamber (<10−7 mbar) in order to increase diamond absorption in the visible and infrared wavelength ranges. A horizontally polarized laser beam had been focussed perpendicularly to the diamond surface and diamond target had been moved by an automated X–Y translational stage along the two directions orthogonal to the optical axis. Scanning electron microscopy of samples reveals an LIPSS with a ripple period of about 170 nm, shorter than the laser wavelength. Raman spectra of processed sample do not point out any evident sp 2 content, and diamond peak presents a right shift, indicating a compressive stress. The investigation of optical properties of fs-laser surface textured diamond is reported. Spectral photometry in the range 200/2,000 nm wavelength shows a significant increase of visible and infrared absorption (more than 80 %) compared to untreated specimens (less than 40 %). The analysis of optical characterization data highlights a close relationship between fabricated LIPSS and absorption properties, confirming the optical effectiveness of such a treatment as a light-trapping structure for diamond: these properties, reported for the first time, open the path for new applications of CVD diamond

Single-crystal Diamond Detector for DT and DD plasmas diagnostic

Single-crystal Diamond Detectors (SDD) are good candidates as high-energy neutron detectors in the extreme conditions of the next generation thermonuclear fusion facilities like the ITER experiment, due to their high radiation hardness, fast response time and small size. Neutron detection in SDDs is based on the collection of electron-hole pairs produced by charged particles generated by neutron interaction on 12C. In this work the SDD response to neutrons with energies between 2.8 and 3.8MeV was determined at the Legnaro CN accelerator at the INFN Laboratories in Legnaro (PD, Italy). This work is relevant for the characterization of SDDs response functions, which are key points for Deuterium-Deuterium and Deuterium-Tritium plasma diagnostic

Size dependent etching of nanodiamond seeds in the early stages of CVD diamond growth

We present an experimental study on the etching of detonation nanodiamond (DND) seeds during typical microwave chemical vapor deposition (MWCVD) conditions leading to ultra-thin diamond film formation, which is fundamental for many technological applications. The temporal evolution of the surface density of seeds on Si(100) substrate has been assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The resulting kinetics have been explained in the framework of a model based on the effect of particle size, according to the Young-Laplace equation, on both chemical potential of carbon atoms in DND and activation energy of reaction. We found that seeds with size smaller than a critical radius, r*, are etched away while those greater than r* can grow. Finally, the model allows to estimate the rate coefficients for growth and etching from the experimental kinetics.Comment: 28 pages; 15 Figures, 3 Table

Surface nanotexturing of boron-doped diamond films by ultrashort laser pulses

Polycrystalline boron-doped diamond (BDD) films were surface nanotextured by femtosecond pulsed laser irradiation (100 fs duration, 800 nm wavelength, 1.44 J/cm² single pulse fluence) to analyse the evolution of induced alterations on the surface morphology and structural properties. The aim was to identify the occurrence of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) as a function of the number of pulses released on the unit area. Micro-Raman spectroscopy pointed out an increase in the graphite surface content of the films following the laser irradiation due to the formation of ordered carbon sites with respect to the pristine sample. SEM and AFM surface morphology studies allowed the determination of two different types of surface patterning: narrow but highly irregular ripples without a definite spatial periodicity or long-range order for irradiations with relatively low accumulated fluences (&lt;14.4 J/cm²) and coarse but highly regular LIPSS with a spatial periodicity of approximately 630 nm ± 30 nm for higher fluences up to 230.4 J/cm²

Femtosecond-laser nanostructuring of black diamond films under different gas environments

Irradiation of diamond with femtosecond (fs) laser pulses in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions results in the formation of surface periodic nanostructures able to strongly interact with visible and infrared light. As a result, native transparent diamond turns into a completely different material, namely “black” diamond, with outstanding absorptance properties in the solar radiation wavelength range, which can be efficiently exploited in innovative solar energy converters. Of course, even if extremely effective, the use of UHV strongly complicates the fabrication process. In this work, in order to pave the way to an easier and more cost-effective manufacturing workflow of black diamond, we demonstrate that it is possible to ensure the same optical properties as those of UHV-fabricated films by performing an fs-laser nanostructuring at ambient conditions (i.e., room temperature and atmospheric pressure) under a constant He flow, as inferred from the combined use of scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and spectrophotometry analysis. Conversely, if the laser treatment is performed under a compressed air flow, or a N2 flow, the optical properties of black diamond films are not comparable to those of their UHV-fabricated counterparts

Charge transport mechanisms of black diamond at cryogenic temperatures

Black diamond is an emerging material for solar applications. The femtosecond laser surface treatment of pristine transparent diamond allows the solar absorptance to be increased to values greater than 90% from semi-transparency conditions. In addition, the defects introduced by fs-laser treatment strongly increase the diamond surface electrical conductivity and a very-low activation energy is observed at room temperature. In this work, the investigation of electronic transport mechanisms of a fs-laser nanotextured diamond surface is reported. The charge transport was studied down to cryogenic temperatures, in the 30–300 K range. The samples show an activation energy of a few tens of meV in the highest temperature interval and for T &lt; 50 K, the activation energy diminishes to a few meV. Moreover, thanks to fast cycles of measurement, we noticed that the black-diamond samples also seem to show a behavior close to ferromagnetic materials, suggesting electron spin influence over the transport properties. The mentioned properties open a new perspective in designing novel diamond-based biosensors and a deep knowledge of the charge-carrier transport in black diamond becomes fundamental

Frenkel-Poole mechanism unveils black diamond as quasi-epsilon-near-zero surface

A recent innovation in diamond technology has been the development of the “black diamond” (BD), a material with very high optical absorption generated by processing the diamond surface with a femtosecond laser. In this work, we investigate the optical behavior of the BD samples to prove a near to zero dielectric permittivity in the high electric field condition, where the Frenkel-Poole (FP) effect takes place. Zero-epsilon materials (ENZ), which represent a singularity in optical materials, are expected to lead to remarkable developments in the fields of integrated photonic devices and optical interconnections. Such a result opens the route to the development of BD-based, novel, functional photonic devices

LIPSS applied to wide bandgap semiconductors and dielectrics: assessment and future perspectives

With the aim of presenting the processes governing the Laser-Induced Periodic Surface Structures (LIPSS), its main theoretical models have been reported. More emphasis is given to those suitable for clarifying the experimental structures observed on the surface of wide bandgap semiconductors (WBS) and dielectric materials. The role played by radiation surface electromagnetic waves as well as Surface Plasmon Polaritons in determining both Low and High Spatial Frequency LIPSS is briefly discussed, together with some experimental evidence. Non-conventional techniques for LIPSS formation are concisely introduced to point out the high technical possibility of enhancing the homogeneity of surface structures as well as tuning the electronic properties driven by point defects induced in WBS. Among these, double-or multiple-fs-pulse irradiations are shown to be suitable for providing further insight into the LIPSS process together with fine control on the formed surface structures. Modifications occurring by LIPSS on surfaces of WBS and dielectrics display high potentialities for their cross-cutting technological features and wide applications in which the main surface and electronic properties can be engineered. By these assessments, the employment of such nanostructured materials in innovative devices could be envisaged