BROAD FULLERENE ION-BEAM GENERATION AND BOMBARDMENT EFFECTS

We report the generation of a large, moderate current density beam of fullerenes from a Kaufman ion source, and initial results on the use of the beam for ion assisted deposition of MgF2 and for growth of hard amorphous carbon films. A 50-100 muA/cm2 beam of fullernes approximately 3.0 cm in diameter was generated; singly and doubly ionized fullerenes were observed after passage through a mass analyzer, with little or no indication of breakdown of the fullerenes. The beam energy was varied over the range 100-700 eV, and continuous beam operation was maintained for approximately 30 min on an initial charge of 150 mg of fullerenes. Low friction, wear resistant coatings were generated from fullerene-ion bombardment of fullerene neutrals, and optical degradation of MgF2 films bombarded during growth was observed.