It was noted the intrinsic defects (vacancies and interstitials) which were created by radiation damage were immobile at room temperature in diamond. Therefore, when the mechanisms of damage were understood for one particle type and energy, the dose and energy dependences of bombardment with other particles at a range of energies could be extrapolated. When a crystal was bombarded, the generation rates of vacancies and self-interstitials were usually determined by optical or electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy experiments which were carried out after bombardment had ceased. However, as bombardment proceeded, some of the C atoms which were displaced from their lattice sites could relax back into the vacant site and no damage event was detected by later measurements. The mechanisms of radiation damage by charged particles were investigated here, and the kinetics of damage creation and subsequent recombination of closely paired vacancies and self-interstitials, were studied by using a combination of theoretical modelling and optical and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy so as to indicate the eventual lattice damage caused to the diamond.

Lattice Damage Caused by the Irradiation of Diamond. B.Campbell, W.Choudhury, A.Mainwood, M.Newton, G.Davies: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A, 2002, 476[3], 680-5