Improved nanodiamond seeding on chromium by surface plasma pretreatment

Abstract

Surface pretreatment by gas discharge plasmas of N-2, O-2 and CF4 is studied for enhanced diamond nucleation on Cr surfaces. The seeding density following the interaction of water-dispersed nanodiamonds (NDs) and the Cr surface is enhanced due to chemical modification of a surface. The surface that is untreated or pretreated with N-2 plasma possesses a suppressed electrostatic attraction of NDs, while the pretreatment with O-2 or CF4 plasmas render a strong electrostatic attraction and high seeding density. Finally, by this method thin nanocrystalline diamond films are achieved on Cr surfaces after O-2 and CF4 plasma pretreatments. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.