The selective etching with H{sup +} ions and its effect on the oriented growth of diamond films
- Fraunhofer-Institut fuer Schicht- und Oberflaechentechnik (FhG-IST), Bienroder Weg 54E, D-38108 Braunschweig (Germany)
A novel etching effect of hydrogen ions on the growth of diamond films was observed. The H{sup +} ion bombardment was performed by applying a negative substrate bias during a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition process, using only hydrogen as a reactant gas. The effect of this bombardment was investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the etching efficiency of H{sup +} ions on non-[001]-oriented grains is more significant than that on grains with their (001) faces parallel to the substrate. A lateral growth of the (001) faces can occur during the bombardment process. As a result, the size of (001) faces increases after H{sup +} etching while grains with other directions are etched off. This effect provides a way to improve the orientation degree of [001] oriented diamond films and might be helpful for obtaining [001] oriented diamond films with small thickness. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}
- OSTI ID:
- 527986
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 82; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Crystallographic anisotropy of growth and etch rates of CVD diamond
Growth of diamond at room temperature by an ion-beam sputter deposition under hydrogen-ion bombardment