Fabrication of diamond like carbon cone for fast ignition experiment

In fast ignition research, a divergence of laser-generated hot electrons is a serious problem. Using diamond like carbon (DLC) cones is one of the realistic solutions to this problem. However, it is difficult to make a stand-alone DLC cone because it needs a thick DLC layer. In this paper, we report survey findings of preparation conditions for a thick DLC layer. DLC layers were prepared by using plasma-based ion implantation and deposition system. Acetylene gas or toluene vapor was used as a source. After trials of many deposition conditions, it is found that low gas pressure and low RF power condition is suitable for a thick DLC deposition. Properties of the made DLC layers were measured by near edge X-ray absorption fine structures (NEXAFS) and elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA). It is found that these DLC layers have typical hydrogenated amorphous DLC properties. Based on these results, we succeeded in making stand-alone DLC cones.