Modification of graphite surface by intense pulsed ion-beam irradiation

The highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) targets were irradiated with 70-120 J/cm2 of pulsed ion beams. The deposited energy by the ablation plasma onto the target was 0.8 J with 100 J/cm2 of the ion beam irradiation. The fast heating and fast quenching effects occurred on the target surfaces, and these effects can be enhanced at the higher energy density of beam irradiation. In the SEM analysis, sphere particles and whiskers which approximately 1 μm in diameter were observed on the irradiated surface. These whiskers may have been grown under the hydraulic pressure by the ablation plasma radiation.