Nanoparticles and nanoballoons of amorphous boron coated with crystalline boron nitride

Solid- and hollow-cored nanoparticles of amorphous boron coated with crystalline boron nitride (BN) have been synthesized by pulsed-laser vaporization of BN, where the laser plume was controlled with a modulated plasma jet. The hollow particles (nanoballoons) were coated with BN both on the interior and exterior surfaces. The solid particles ranged from a few to 40 nm in their size. The typical diameter of the hollow particles and their wall thickness were about 200 and 30 nm, respectively. The nanoballoons were obtained only when the plasma modulation was synchronized with the ArF excimer-laser pulses. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.