Development of a plasma immersion ion implanter for the surface treatment of metal components

Plasma immersion ion implantation (PI3) has emerged as a viable alternative to conventional ion implantation for specific applications, such as the implantation of non-planar components and in hybrid treatments such as high energy, ion-assisted deposition and energetic ion nitriding. It is particularly suitable for the treatment of metal components where improvement in surface hardness and wear resistance is required. This paper describes the development of a PI3TM system, aimed at treating metal components up to a few hundred square centimetres in surface area with a hybrid implantation/diffusion process. Heating is provided by high energy ion bombardment. Complete process control has been implemented using industry standard equipment familiar to the process engineering community where possible. The implanter is described and its operating capabilities and reliability in a process environment are discussed.