Effects of microwave oxygen plasma treatments on microstructure and Ge-V photoluminescent properties of diamond particles

The microstructure and Ge-V photoluminescent properties of diamond particles treated by microwave oxygen plasma are investigated. The results show that in the first 5 min of microwave plasma treatment, graphite and disordered carbon on the surface of the particles are etched away, so that diamond with regular crystal plane, smaller lattice stress, and better crystal quality is exposed, producing a Ge-V photoluminescence (PL) intensity 4 times stronger and PL peak FWHM (full width at half maximum) value of 6.6 nm smaller than the as-deposited sample. It is observed that the cycles of ‘diamond is converted into graphite and disordered carbon, then the graphite and disordered carbon are etched’ can occur with the treatment time further increasing. During these cycles, the particle surface alternately appears smooth and rough, corresponding to the strengthening and weakening of Ge-V PL intensity, respectively, while the PL intensity is always stronger than that of the as-deposited sample. The results suggest that not only graphite but also disordered carbon weakens the Ge-V PL intensity. Our study provides a feasible way of enhancing the Ge-V PL properties and effectively controlling the surface morphology of diamond particle.