Diamond nucleation on unscratched silicon substrates coated with various non-diamond carbon films by microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1995 · Journal of Materials Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1995.0165· OSTI ID:6620874

Feng, Z ^[1]; Brewer, M A ^[2]; Komvopoulos, K ^[1]; Brown, I G ^[2]; Bogy, D B ^[1]

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1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)
2. Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

The efficacy of various non-diamond carbon films as precursors for diamond nucleation on unscratched silicon substrates was investigated with a conventional microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system. Silicon substrates were partially coated with various carbonaceous substances such as clusters consisting of a mixture of C[sub 60] and C[sub 70], evaporated films of carbon and pure C[sub 70], and hard carbon produced by a vacuum arc deposition technique. For comparison, diamond nucleation on silicon substrates coated with submicrometer-sized diamond particles and uncoated smooth silicon surfaces was also examined under similar conditions. Except for evaporated carbon films, significantly higher diamond nucleation densities were obtained by subjecting the carbon-coated substrates to a low-temperature high-methane concentration hydrogen plasma treatment prior to diamond nucleation. The highest nucleation density ([similar to]3[times]10[sup 8] cm[sup [minus]2]) was obtained with hard carbon films. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy demonstrated that the diamond nucleation density increased with the film thickness and etching resistance. The higher diamond nucleation density obtained with the vacuum arc-deposited carbon films may be attributed to the inherent high etching resistance, presumably resulting from the high content of [ital sp][sup 3] atomic bonds. Microscopy observations suggested that diamond nucleation in the presence of non-diamond carbon deposits resulted from carbon layers generated under the pretreatment conditions.

• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6620874
• Journal Information: Journal of Materials Research; (United States), Vol. 10:1; ISSN 0884-2914
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
DIAMONDS
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
CARBON
COATINGS
NUCLEATION
PLASMA
RAMAN SPECTRA
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SILICON
SUBSTRATES
CHEMICAL COATING
DEPOSITION
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELEMENTAL MINERALS
ELEMENTS
MICROSCOPY
MINERALS
NONMETALS
SEMIMETALS
SPECTRA
SURFACE COATING
360601* - Other Materials- Preparation & Manufacture