METHOD FOR FORMING CONFORMAL DIAMOND-TYPE CARBON COATINGS, HARD DIAMOND-TYPE CARBON COATING AND POROUS FILTRATION ELEMENT USING THE SAME

The present invention relates to a conformal diamond-type carbon coating having an amorphous structure, as well as to a method for producing the same. This method comprises conducting plasmic-chemical deposition of carbon onto a substrate from a flow of carbon-containing active particles and using a microwave discharge during an electron-cyclotron resonance mode. This method uses as starting reagents purified hydrocarbon pairs, the molecules of which contain atoms of chemical elements with a high electrical negativity such as oxygen or chlorine. This method allows for large variations in the chemical composition of the coating material, especially in its hydrogen contents. The diamond-type coatings thus obtained exhibit strong photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence as well as various densities and an electrical resistance higher than the value that is characteristic of natural diamond. These coatings are free from hydrogen, IR-transparent and completely absorb the visible spectrum. The conformity of the coatings obtained according to the present method makes them useful in applications onto porous filtration materials which then acquire new properties.