Diamond synthesis at atmospheric pressure by microwave capillary plasma chemical vapor deposition

Abstract

Polycrystalline diamond has been synthesized on silicon substrates at atmospheric pressure, using a microwave capillary plasma chemical vapor deposition technique. The CH4/Ar plasma was generated inside of quartz capillary tubes using 2.45 GHz microwave excitation without adding H2 into the deposition gas chemistry. Electronically excited species of CN, C2, Ar, N2, CH, Hβ, and Hα were observed in the emission spectra. Raman measurements of deposited material indicate the formation of well-crystallized diamond, as evidenced by the sharp T2g phonon at 1333 cm−1 peak relative to the Raman features of graphitic carbon. Field emission scanning electron microscopy images reveal that, depending on the growth conditions, the carbon microstructures of grown films exhibit “coral” and “cauliflower-like” morphologies or well-facetted diamond crystals with grain sizes ranging from 100 nm to 10 μm.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Nov 02, 2015
Source ID
10.1063/1.4934751

Entities

People

  • Huiyang Gou
  • K. W. Hemawan
  • Russell J. Hemley

Organizations

  • Army Research Office
  • Carnegie Institution for Science
  • United States Department of Energy

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Molecular Photonics/Laser Physics
  • Thin Film Deposition Science.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Graphene