Formation of buried conductive micro-channels in single crystal diamond with MeV C and He implantation

As demonstrated in previous works, implantation with a MeV ion microbeam through masks with graded thickness allows the formation of conductive micro-channels in diamond which are embedded in the insulating matrix at controllable depths [P. Olivero et al., Diamond Relat. Mater. 18 (5–8), 870–876 (2009)]. In the present work we report about the systematic electrical characterization of such micro-channels as a function of several implantation conditions, namely: ion species and energy, implantation fluence. The current–voltage (IV) characteristics of the buried channels were measured at room temperature with a two point probe station. Significant parameters such as the sheet resistance and the characteristic exponent (α) of the IV power-law trend were expressed as a function of damage density, with satisfactory compatibility between the results obtained in different implantation conditions.