Ion Implantation System Research Articles

Mechanism exploration of ion-implanted epoxy on surface trap distribution: An approach to augment the vacuum flashover voltages

Abstract The augmentation of the epoxy (EP) resin surface to advance flashover performance has become a pivotal point of global interest. This research introduces a novel surface modification method and its mechanism for insulation materials. The research follows an electron cyclotron resonance ion implantation system to subject the surface of EP insulation to ion beams with diverse energies, i.e., 6, 10, 20, 40, 50, and 60 keV for a consistent time of 300 s at an angle of 90°. The experimental phase includes the DC flashover examination under negative polarity. Besides, the simulation phase includes the Monte Carlo model constructed using SRIM software to examine the range and distribution of bombarded ions in the targeted insulation. Results reveal that the flashover properties are affected by the surface potential, surface conductivity, trap distribution, water contact angle, and elemental composition. Likewise, based on the outcomes and theoretical point of view, it is revealed that the bombardment of energetic ions enhances the trap depth, assisting in a reduction in surface conductivity, confining the surface charge movements, and extensively suppressing the secondary electron emission yield. Also, the enhanced trap depth induces homo-charge formation near triple junctions. Synergistically, the factors contribute to high flashover voltages.

Spatially selective p-type doping for constructing lateral WS2 p-n homojunction via low-energy nitrogen ion implantation

The construction of lateral p-n junctions is very important and challenging in two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor manufacturing process. Previous researches have demonstrated that vertical p-n junction can be prepared simply by vertical stacking of 2D materials. However, interface pollution and large area scalability are challenges that are difficult to overcome with vertical stacking technology. Constructing 2D lateral p-n homojunction is an effective strategy to address these issues. Spatially selective p-type doping of 2D semiconductors is expected to construct lateral p-n homojunction. In this work, we have developed a low-energy ion implantation system that reduces the implanted energy to 300 eV. Low-energy implantation can form a shallow implantation depth, which is more suitable for modulating the electrical and optical properties of 2D materials. Hence, we utilize low-energy ion implantation to directly dope nitrogen ions into few-layer WS2 and successfully realize a precise regulation for WS2 with its conductivity type transforming from n-type to bipolar or even p-type conduction. Furthermore, the universality of this method is demonstrated by extending it to other 2D semiconductors, including WSe2, SnS2 and MoS2. Based on this method, a lateral WS2 p-n homojunction is fabricated, which exhibits significant rectification characteristics. A photodetector based on p-n junction with photovoltaic effect is also prepared, and the open circuit voltage can reach to 0.39 V. This work provides an effective way for controllable doping of 2D semiconductors.

Adjusting the Dose of Ag-Ion Implantation on TiN-Ag-Modified SLA-Ti Creates Different Micronanostructures: Implications on Bacteriostasis, Biocompatibility, and Osteogenesis in Dental Implants.

The prevention of aseptic loosening and peri-implantitis is crucial for the success of dental implant surgery. In this study, different doses of Ag-implanted TiN/Ag nanomultilayers were prepared on the sandblasting with large grit and acid etching (SLA)-Ti surface using a multiarc ion-plating system and an ion-implantation system, respectively. The physical and chemical properties of the samples were assessed using various techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, and water contact angle measurements. In addition, the applicability and biosafety of the SLA/1 × 1017-Ag and SLA/1 × 1018-Ag surfaces were determined via biocompatibility testing in vivo and in vitro. The results demonstrated that the physical and chemical properties of SLA/1 × 1017-Ag and SLA/1 × 1018-Ag surfaces were different to some extent. However, compared with SLA-Ti, silver-loaded TiN/Ag-modified SLA-Ti surfaces (SLA/1 × 1018-Ag) with enhanced bacteriostatis, osteogenesis, and biocompatibility have great potential for dental applications.

High-homogeneity double-focusing stigmatic analyzer magnet for electromagnetic isotope separator

An electromagnetic Isotope Separator (EMIS) is used for separating isotopes by magnetic dispersion method. A dipole-bending magnet performs the fundamental function of separation and is an essential building block of EMIS. Unlike mass spectrometers and ion implantation systems, the EMIS prefers ribbon beams for effective mass separation and collection. The bending magnet described in this paper has an inbuilt hexapole and a tunable quadrupole doublet. This magnet separates the charged particles based on the mass-to-charge ratio, performs chromatic correction, and focuses the beam in both axes. All sector magnets focus the beam in the radial direction, the introduction of edge angle results in the vertical focusing of the beam at the expense of radial focusing. The exit pole of the magnet is rotatable for adjusting the focal point. The entry pole is curved for ensuring stigmatism correction in the beam and works like a hexapole. High magnetic field homogeneity is a key requirement for this magnet. This enhances the mass resolution. As per beam simulations, magnetic field non-homogeneity shall not exceed 200 ppm in good field region (GFR) of 200 mm (radial) and 60 mm(vertical). The paper discusses the design, production, installation, testing, and commissioning of a double-focusing Stigmator dipole magnet. A method for achieving low non-homogeneity by using non-magnetic cavities and compensation coils is described and implemented. Very high homogeneity magnets can be designed using this technique. The paper also describes an efficient method for the Magnetic qualification of bending magnets. Based on the design, a double-focusing stigmatic dipole magnet is produced, characterized, and installed.

Positron annihilation spectroscopy of thermally annealed hydrogenated amorphous carbon films

Hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) films are prepared using a bipolar-type plasma-based ion implantation and deposition system, followed by thermal annealing of the films at 200 °C-800 °C. The structural and compositional changes are examined by Raman spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, and elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA). Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) is also conducted to investigate the behavior of voids in the films. The results of Raman and ERDA measurement clearly show that the sp2 ring clusters increase, and hydrogen content apparently decreases at temperatures between 400 °C and 800 °C. Uncorrelated behaviors between positron lifetimes and line-shape parameters are observed in the PAS results, which can be attributed to several competing effects, such as hydrogen release, bond reconstruction, and electronic-state change of voids. Furthermore, it is suggested that the graphitization of the films begins from the surface to the inside, accompanied by the hydrogen release that is related to the void behavior.

Design and simulation of a low-energy single ion irradiation system for micro/nano-biosample investigation

A low-energy single ion irradiation system is developed in its initiation in Thailand to follow one of the trends in novel ion beam technology exploitation. Single ion irradiation of materials is a highly technological development of ion beam technology. The developed single ion irradiation systems worldwide are primarily in the MeV-energy range and for single cell studies, and recently the trend has been extended to the low-energy range (< 100 keV) but focused on microelectronic applications. Based on our previous research on low-energy ion beam irradiation of biological cells and DNA, we design and simulate a low-energy single ion implantation system, aiming at eventual construction of such a novel ion beam apparatus for applications to the biological studies. In the system, the ion energy is decreased to orders < 1 keV by the existing deceleration lens, then the low-energy ion beam passes through µm slits, and finally, low-energy single ions are obtained by beam scanning with appropriate frequencies from scanner plates and detected by a single ion detection device. Conceptual design, calculation and simulation of this single ion system are presented.

Optimizing ion implantation to create shallow NV centre ensembles in high-quality CVD diamond

The negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy centre (so-called NV-centre) in diamond is one of the most promising systems for applications in quantum technologies because of the possibility to optically manipulate and read out the spin state of this defect, even at room temperature. Nevertheless, obtaining high NV densities (>500 ppb) close to the surface (5–20 nm) while maintaining good spin properties remain challenging. In this work we rely on a versatile ion implantation system allowing both implanting nitrogen using N2 + and creating vacancies with He+ ion bombardment at variable energies and fluence to create shallow NV ensembles. By optimizing the ion irradiation conditions as well as the surface preparation prior to treatment we successfully increase the amount of created colour centres while demonstrating narrow magnetic resonance linewidths.

Strain Analysis of High Energy Implanted 4H-SiC Epiwafer By Synchrotron X-Ray Plane Wave Topography

Silicon Carbide (SiC) is a promising wide bandgap semiconductor for power devices. Due to excellent properties of SiC, such as wide band gap, high break down voltage and thermal stability, SiC devices are able to be operated under harsh environment, such as high temperature, high voltage and high frequency environment [1]. 4H-SiC high voltage devices are highly sought for applications, such as hybrid vehicles, shipboard and power grid systems, and high-speed trains. Usually, such medium or high voltage devices are fabricated on 4H-SiC wafers with thick epilayers that will increase the resistance of the device specially at high temperatures. Deep implanted SiC superjunction devices have the potential to replace planar devices for medium voltage applications [2] However, forming deep implanted pillars into thick epilayers is quite challenging. An optimized solution of selective area doping is utilizing multi-steps high energy ion implantation system. Such a system has been developed at the Tandem Van de Graaff accelerator facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory with the capability of multi-steps high energy implantation at energies up to 150 MeV [3]. By employing such a system, medium voltage charge balance devices and 2 kV superjunction structure PIN diode have been demonstrated [4-5]. Implantation employing high energy ions can create lattice strain in the epilayer by displacing the host atoms. Therefore, characterization of strain in as-implanted epilayer is critical to understand the nature of damage introduced by the high energy implantation.Here, we employ synchrotron X-ray plane wave topography (SXPWT), where X-rays with energy of 8 keV is initially monochromatized by double crystal Si (111) monochromator followed by tuning with an asymmetric Si (331) beam conditioner. The effective width of the resultant X-ray beam is lowered to 0.5” due to the asymmetric factor of the beam conditioner [6]. Therefore, the angular resolution of SXPWT is vastly enhanced, enabling miniscule distortions in the lattice to be detected.The diffraction intensity profile from a 4H-SiC epiwafer implanted with Al ions to (concentration) using this effectively plane wave X-ray beam is shown in Fig. 1. Two high intensity peaks and weak intensity fringes in between, with an angular separation of only 2ʹʹ can be observed. This illustrates non-uniform strain in the implanted epilayer. Intensity profile of peaks and fringes is extracted from the topograph then fitted with commercial Rocking-curve Analysis by Dynamical Simulation (RADS) software developed by Bede to obtain the strain profile. The fitted curve and strain profile are shown in Fig.2. The strain profile will be analyzed and compared with doping profile obtained by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS).[1] J. Guo, Y. Yang, B. Raghothamachar, T. Kim, M. Dudley, J. Kim, J. Cryst. Growth[2] L. C. Yu and K. Sheng, Solid State Electron., vol. 50, no. 6, pp. 1062-1072, 2006.[3] P. Thieberger, C. Carlson, D. Steski, R. Ghandi, A. Bolotnikov, D. Lilienfeld, P. Losee, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. B: Beam Interact. Mater. At.[4] R. Ghandi, C. Hitchcock, S. Kennerly, ECS Transactions 104, 67 (2021)[5] R. Ghandi, A. Bolotnikov, S. Kennerly, C. Hitchcock, P.-m. Tang, T.P. Chow, 2020 32nd International Symposium on Power Semiconductor Devices and ICs (ISPSD), IEEE, 2020, pp. 126-129.[6] H. Peng, Z. Chen, Y. Liu, B. Raghothamachar, X. Huang, L. Assoufid and M. Dudley, J. Appl. Crystallogr. (accepted) Figure 1

Effect of Annealing Conditions on Recovery of Lattice Damage in a High-Energy-Implanted 4H-SiC Superjunction PIN Diode

A high energy ion implantation system has been recently developed at the Tandem Van de Graaff facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory with tunable energy to 150 MeV capable of multi-step, deep implantation in 4H-SiC wafers with dopant atoms, such as B, P, Al, and N. Medium and high voltage devices with deep junctions can be fabricated using this system. Lattice strain introduced by the implantation process needs to be recovered and dopant atoms activated by appropriate annealing process as the device performance is strongly associated with the extent of recovery of the lattice. Using Synchrotron X-ray Rocking Curve Topography (SXRCT) and Reciprocal Space Mapping (RSM), the strain induced by high energy implantation of Al and N in 4H-SiC in different patterns are measured and mapped. It is observed that the strain levels correlate with the total fluence levels. PiN diodes fabricated on these implanted wafers were then annealed at temperatures ranging from 1700 °C to 2000 °C for 60 min. The SXRCT and RSM analysis of the annealed samples suggests that for the same annealing duration, higher temperature leads to better lattice recovery.

Laterally controlled ultra-low energy ion implantation using electrostatic masking

We describe the ongoing development of an ultra-low energy (ULE) ion implantation system for the implementation of a laterally controlled ion incorporation into 2D materials like graphene or transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). For this purpose, we use ion optics simulations to demonstrate how the generation of an electrostatic potential gradient laterally along the sample surface can be used to control the size of the implanted sample area. The simulations are complemented by experiments on the incorporation of 25eV Mn ions into thin tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) films on Si substrates. With the help of RBS measurements, it is shown how potential gradients of different strengths influence the amount of introduced Mn.

The comparative biological properties of Mg+ or Ca+ implanted Cu–TiN nanocomposite coatings on titanium alloys

In this paper, Cu–TiN nanocomposite coatings on titanium alloys were prepared by multi-target co-sputtering system. On this basis, Mg or Ca ions at the same doses were then implanted into the Cu–TiN coatings respectively via plasma immersion ion implantation system (PIII) to further improve their biological properties. The corrosion resistances, protein adhesion rates, in vitro cell proliferation and bacterial inhibition capabilities of Mg + implanted Cu–TiN and Ca+ implanted Cu–TiN were also compared. The results showed that the Mg+ implanted Cu–TiN showed (i) improved corrosion behavior, (ii) higher protein adsorption capacity, (iii) ideal cell proliferation and adhesion, (iv) better antimicrobial properties. The research results showed that compared with Ca, Mg and Cu–TiN combined better in osteogenetic and antibacterial activities, which could provide a good choice for the surface modification of medical materials.

Effects of Ag/Ta co-implanted TiN coating on medical titanium alloy on biological and antibacterial properties

In this work, co-implantation of silver and tantalum on TiN coated Ti-6Al-4V surface was carried out by an omnidirectional ion implantation system. The effects of Ag/Ta co-implantation on its biological properties and antibacterial activity were studied. The elemental content was determined by XPS, the biocompatibility was determined by Fibroblast-like cells (L929) and the antimicrobial activity was determined by Escherichia coli (E. coli). The results indicated that Ag/Ta-TiN coating exhibited the good biocompatibility and excellent antibacterial properties, which means that Ag/Ta co-implantation can improve the biocompatibility and antibacterial properties of Ti-6Al-4V.

Influence of Ag/Ca ratio on the osteoblast growth and antibacterial activity of TiN coatings on Ti-6Al-4V by Ag and Ca ion implantation

Titanium nitride (TiN) coating has many prominent properties such as chemical stability, high hardness, excellent wear properties, biocompatibility and so on, which make it as a potential candidate for inhibiting the release of toxic ions and improving mechanical properties of dental and orthopedic implants made by titanium‑aluminum‑vanadium (Ti-6Al-4V). Of course, the biologically inert and poor antibacterial property of TiN limits its application. In this work, TiN coating was firstly deposited on the surface of Ti-6Al-4V substrate to inhibit its toxic ions release. Then, silver (Ag) and calcium (Ca) with different ratios were implanted into TiN coatings by plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (PIII&D) system to enhance both osteoblast growth and antibacterial activity on the surfaces of TiN coatings. The results show that TiN coating inhibits the release of toxic ions such as Al and V. X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses proved the presence of Ag, Ca on the surface of Ag and Ca implanted TiN (Ag/Ca-TiN). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the surfaces' morphologies of samples, which takes advantage of distinct detectors to visualize secondary and back-scattering electrons. The protein adsorption experiment showed that the protein adsorption capacities increased with the increase of Ca ratio. When the results of antibacterial and cell adhesion tests were combined, Ag/Ca(2:1)-TiN indicated the best osteoblast adhesion and antibacterial activity in vitro due to the synergistic effect of Ag and Ca. The improved inhibiting ability in releasing toxic ions, osteoblast adhesion and antibacterial activity of the Ag/Ca(2:1)-TiN suggest that it might be a potential choice for surface medication of orthopedic implants clinically.

Mg/Ag ratios induced in vitro cell adhesion and preliminary antibacterial properties of TiN on medical Ti-6Al-4V alloy by Mg and Ag implantation

Titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) has been extensively applied in joint replacements, orthopedic prostheses, dental implants, and so on, because of their good biocompatibilities and mechanical properties. However, the inferior antibacterial activity and biological inert of titanium alloy limit its application in the field of hard tissue repair. Therefore, the surface modification to Ti-6Al-4V is well method. In this paper, titanium nitride (TiN) was first deposited on the surface of Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Then magnesium (Mg) and silver (Ag) ions with different ratios (Mg:Ag = 0.5:1; 1:1; 3:1) were implanted into TiN via a plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) system to explore the effects of Mg/Ag ratios on the cell adhesion and the preliminary antibacterial properties. Structure characteristics and compositions of Mg/Ag implanted TiN were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) proved the presence of Mg and Ag on the surface of Mg/Ag-TiN. The results of water contact angle and protein adsorption proved that the wettability and protein adsorption energy of the materials increased significantly with the increase of Mg content. Moreover, in vitro investigations indicated that Mg/Ag (1/1)-TiN exhibited the best cell adhesion and spreading activity, and ideal proliferation, as well as preliminary antibacterial activities, which made it has a good application prospect in orthopedic material.

Co-regulation of Cu/Zn contents enhanced the biological and mechanical properties of TiN coated Ti-6Al-4V alloy

Surface modification is considered to be an important approach for improving the antibacterial activity and cytocompatibility of Ti-6Al-4V alloy. In this study, TiN was firstly deposited on the surface of Ti-6Al-4V alloy by a multi-arc ion plating system to wrap toxic elements and improve the wear resistance. Then Cu and Zn ions with different contents were simultaneously implanted into TiN via plasma immersion ion implantation system (PIII). The chemical characteristics of the samples were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The corrosion resistance and hardness of the samples were obtained by potentiodynamic polarization and nanoindenter respectively. The biological assays were evaluated by bovine serum albumin (BSA), MC3T3-E1cells and Escherichia coli (E. coli) in vitro. These results confirm that Cu/Zn-TiN(30 min) has excellent antibacterial property and ideal cytocompatibility, but its mechanical property was slightly inferior to Cu/Zn-TiN(60 min) and Cu/Zn-TiN(90 min). Therefore, the selection of suitable co-implantation content of copper and zinc ions is particularly important for the bone transplants in clinic application.

Enhancement of the mechanical and biological properties on Zn/Ag co-implanted TiN via ions contents regulation

Most orthopedic and dental implants are made of Ti and its alloys due to the excellent biocompatibility and machinability. However, low hardness, biologically inert and poor antibacterial property block its application in the field of hard tissue repair. Therefore, in this study, TiN co-implanted with Zn and Ag (Zn/Ag-TiN) with different contents using the plasma immersion ion implantation system was modified on the surface of titanium alloy to evaluate the mechanical properties, biological properties and antibacterial activities. X-ray photoelectron spectrometer was used to determine the chemical state and composition of samples. The tests of hardness, elastic modulus and scratch of different samples were performed by the nano indenter XP system. Biocompatibility and antibacterial properties were evaluated by MC3T3-E1 cells, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) in vitro. Results indicate that Zn/Ag(1.5 h)-TiN with the largest content of Zn and Ag exhibits the strongest hardness and adhesion strength, the highest protein adsorption capacity, the best cell adhesion and spreading activity, and ideal proliferation, as well as antibacterial activities, which makes it have great application prospects in orthopedic materials.

Preparation of silicon-doped diamond-like carbon films with electrical conductivity by reactive high-power impulse magnetron sputtering combined with a plasma-based ion implantation system

Silicon-doped diamond-like carbon (Si-doped DLC) films were prepared by a reactive high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) combined with a plasma-based ion implantation (PBII) system, in which tetramethylsilane (TMS) was used as a reactive gas. The preparation of the Si-doped DLC films was based on both plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and physical vapor deposition. The incident energy of the reactive ions was controlled by applying negative pulse voltage to the substrate using the PBII system. The Si content was controlled by the flow rate ratio of TMS to Ar. The negative pulse voltage was crucial because the resistivity of Si-doped DLC films prepared under the conditions of an Ar flow rate of 75 sccm and a TMS flow rate of 1.5sccm exponentially decreased from 575 to 30 Ωcm with an increase in the negative pulse voltage in the voltage range up to −7 kV. Through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, it was estimated that the Si content in the films ranged between 4.3% and 11% in our experiment. The resistivity of the films, which were prepared at a negative pulse voltage of −5 or − 7 kV in the range of the flow rate ratio up to 0.043, markedly increased from 3 to 380 Ωcm with an increase in the Si content. Moreover, the film hardness ranged between 9 and 16 GPa.

Glass-like carbon films grown by pulsed hollow cathode via plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition

Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation and Deposition (PIII&D) systems based on pulsed metal tubes are a very promising technique to deposit diamond-like carbon and correlated thin films. A hollow cathode plasma can be appropriately used to locally deposit glass-like carbon films on small substrates by means of PIII&D. The morphology, microstructure, roughness as well as the investigation of the chemical structure of the as-deposited graphitic films outside the pulsed tube are reported. By the described PIII&D setup, the power of the discharge plasma can be properly adjusted to produce a range of disordered carbon films. But their structures are not so extensively changed since high temperatures (around 900 °C) are inherent in these conditions. Furthermore, there is a minimum power required to sustain the hollow cathode discharge when small tubes are used. Moreover, an additional effect caused by the intense bombardment of secondary electrons outside the tube can account for the growing of more ordered and rougher graphitic carbon coatings. We have then found that those nanostructured glass-like carbon films are strongly dependent on the power of the produced plasma that impinges on the substrate surface increasing its temperature.

Biological actions of Cu/Zn coimplanted TiN on Ti-6Al-4V alloy.

Ti-6Al-4V alloy, as a widely used orthopedic and dental implant, has excellent biocompatibility and machinability. However, its poor corrosion resistance and antibacterial property may lead to tissue inflammation and postoperative infection, which hinders its further development. In this paper, to solve the above problems, copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) ions were coimplanted into a titanium nitride (TiN) coated Ti-6Al-4V alloy via a plasma immersion ion implantation system (PIII). Then, the structure and composition of Cu/Zn coimplanted TiN (Cu/Zn-TiN-PIII) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Also, the results of the corrosion test, the water contact angles test, and the protein electrophoresis experiment showed that the corrosion resistance, hydrophilicity, and the protein adsorption capacity of Cu/Zn-TiN-PIII were improved simultaneously. In addition, compared with TiN-PIII, Cu/Zn-TiN-PIII promoted both cytocompatibility and the antibacterial property according to L929 cells and Escherichia coli assays in vitro. Therefore, Cu/Zn-TiN-PIII may be a good candidate for orthopedic implants.

Carbon films deposition as protective coating of titanium alloy tube using PIII&D system

The purpose of this work is to deposit carbon films inside titanium alloy tube of small diameter, in order to increase the corrosion resistance of its inner surface. The use of carbon films as protective coating can increase the lifetime of the tubes used in propulsion and thermal control systems of satellites. They can also inhibit the permeation of corrosive species, originated from the fuels and the cooling fluids, between the film-metal interface. Titanium alloy tube with 11 mm diameter and 150 mm length, with one side closed configuration was placed inside a vacuum chamber and pulsed to a high energy voltage. Carbon film deposition was performed by using a Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation and Deposition (PIII&D) system. The hollow cathode discharges (HCD) were produced with pulses of 2 kV, 15 A, 20 μs, and 500 Hz of repetition rate, using a RUP-6 pulser. The maximum temperature measured at the surface of tubes was about 1000 °C. The as-deposited carbon films were analyzed in terms of their microstructure, chemical composition, surface morphology and thickness. The surface characterization of the carbon films were carried out by means of Raman Spectroscopy, Field Emission Gun Scanning Electron Microscopy (FEG-SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Potenciodynamic Polarization tests. The experimental results show an interesting change on the chemical structure of the as-deposited carbon films, when the deposition time varied from 30 min to 240 min, resulting in thicker and quite adhered films on the inner surface of tubes. In addition, the changes on the microstructure, seen by SEM analysis, as well as the ID/IG variation indicate that nanocrystalline graphite (NC-G) films can be deposited on the inner surface of titanium tubes by using this type of PIII&D system.