Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation (PIII) is a new metal hardening process that deposits a permanent diamond-like coating (DLC) on metal surfaces. It takes place under vacuum at high electrical voltage and at ambient temperature. It's well suited to hardening metal stamping dies, automotive components, golf club heads, medical implants, aerospace parts, and other high wear surfaces. It is also used to dope silicon in semiconductor manufacturing.

The component to be treated with PIII is placed in a vacuum chamber in which a plasma containing the ions to be implanted is generated. The component is pulsed repetitively at high negative voltages, in the 10 - 100 kV range, so that its surface is implanted with energetic ions. Because the plasma completely surrounds the object being treated, implantation can be achieved over the objects's entire surface.

A DTI modulator powered the PIII processing chamber, shown in operation in the photograph to the left, in which the PIII plasma was generated.

Download a PDF file about Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation here.

PIII Run on Automotive Pistons at Los Alamos National Laboratory.