Summary: Transitions in morphology observed in nitrogenÕmethane­hydrogen
depositions of polycrystalline diamond films
V. M. Ayres,a)
M. Farhan, D. Spach, J. Bobbitt, J. Abdul Majeed, B. F. Wright,
B. L. Wright, and J. Asmussen
Department of Electrical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
M. G. Kanatzidis
Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
T. R. Bieler
Department of Materials Science and Mechanics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
Received 2 June 2000; accepted for publication 14 February 2001
In this work, we report on a series of transitions in morphology and texture as 5­1000 parts per
million of nitrogen were added to 2% and 1% methane­hydrogen depositions of polycrystalline
diamond films. Five results are reported. 1 The threshold for transition into the 100 -faceted
morphology occurred at lower parts per million nitrogen for the 1% versus the 2% methane­
hydrogen series, opposite from the transition thresholds previously reported. 2 At 1000 parts per
million nitrogen the film quality of both series had not yet seriously degraded. 3 A well defined
sequence of intermediate texture transitions as a function of increasing parts per million nitrogen
was observed for both series. 4 A pretransition morphology of large crystallites interspersed
among microcrystalline material directly preceding the transitions to the 100 -faceted morphology

Source: Ayres, Virginia - Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University

Collections: Materials Science; Biology and Medicine