Pulsed laser ablation of glassy carbon targets for the coating of ion accelerator electrodes

The synthesis of hard carbon films grown by laser ablation of glassy-carbon targets is reported. The carbon films were deposited under various conditions using XeCl pulsed laser deposition at 10−4 torr on Mo substrates kept at temperatures ranging from 200 to 500°C. The structural features of the deposits were investigated by means of reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and Raman spectroscopy. Ion sputtering experiments have been performed using 1-keV Ar+ beams in order to verify the suitability of such coatings to protect spatial components against erosion by accelerated ions.