Effects of Ar Ion Physical Etching on Maskless Diamond Nanocone Structures: Simulation and Experiment

Abstract

The exceptional functional properties of diamonds are shaped not only by their intrinsic physical and chemical attributes but also by their surface morphology. In this study, diamond nanocones were fabricated on silicon wafers. The effects of ion quantity and etching time on the morphology of nanocones were investigated. Monte Carlo simulations were employed to model the trajectories of Ar⁺ during the etching process, and an ion sputtering model was established to analyze the sputtering phenomena at varying incident angles and quantities. The etching of diamond nanocones is a dynamic process driven by Ar+ bombardment, where variations in incident angle and ion quantity drive the transition from a dome-like structure to a stable nanocone as the sputtering yield peaks at 76°.

Keywords: Nanocone, Reactive ion etching, Ion trajectory