Method of protecting surfaces on diamond, diamondlike carbon or carbon
First Claim
1. A method of protecting diamond, diamondlike carbon, or other carbon materials from high temperature oxidation, including the steps of:
- providing an item of diamond, diamondlike carbon or other carbon materials or of other materials coated by diamond, diamondlike carbon or other carbon materials;
ion implanting said item with ions of a reactive material that reacts with carbon to form a compound that is more oxidation-resistant than the diamond, diamondlike carbon or other carbon material, for introducing said ions into said item; and
heating said item during and/or after said exposing step, to react said ions with the carbon of said item and form a layer of said compounds in said item, for oxidation-protecting said item;
wherein said layer of said compound includes, at is maximum, a concentration of said reactive material of at least 10% of the stoichiometric concentration, to create an oxidation-resistant barrier layer which substantially prevents the underlying diamond, diamondlike carbon or other carbon material from oxidizing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention concerns a method for protecting surfaces of diamond, diamondlike carbon and of other forms of carbon, from the effects of oxidation which can occur at high temperatures in an oxidizing environment. The method involves exposing the surface of the diamond or other carbon material to energetic ions of, or containing, an element or elements which can be caused to react with the carbon to form a thin layer containing a carbide compound that is itself more oxidation resistant than the diamond or other carbon material and which is able to serve as a barrier to prevent or delay penetration of oxygen to the thereby protected diamond or other carbon material.
22 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of protecting diamond, diamondlike carbon, or other carbon materials from high temperature oxidation, including the steps of:
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providing an item of diamond, diamondlike carbon or other carbon materials or of other materials coated by diamond, diamondlike carbon or other carbon materials; ion implanting said item with ions of a reactive material that reacts with carbon to form a compound that is more oxidation-resistant than the diamond, diamondlike carbon or other carbon material, for introducing said ions into said item; and heating said item during and/or after said exposing step, to react said ions with the carbon of said item and form a layer of said compounds in said item, for oxidation-protecting said item; wherein said layer of said compound includes, at is maximum, a concentration of said reactive material of at least 10% of the stoichiometric concentration, to create an oxidation-resistant barrier layer which substantially prevents the underlying diamond, diamondlike carbon or other carbon material from oxidizing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of protecting diamond, diamondlike carbon or other carbon material, or of other materials coated by diamond, diamondlike carbon or other carbon materials, from high-temperature oxidation, including the steps of:
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providing an item of diamond, diamondlike carbon or other carbon material, or of other materials coated by diamond, diamondlike carbon or other carbon material; ion implanting said item with silicon ions at an ion energy of from 5 keV to 400 keV, and an ion dose of 1017 to 3×
1018 ions per cm2 ; andheating said item, during and/or after said ion implanting step, to at least 400°
C., to form a silicon carbide layer in said item having a maximum silicon concentration of at least 10% of the stoichiometric silicon concentration in silicon carbide, to create an oxidation-resistant silicon carbide layer which substantially prevents the underlying diamond, diamondlike carbon or other carbon material from oxidizing, for protecting said item from high temperature oxidation.
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Specification