Surface carbon saturation as a means of CVD diamond nucleation enhancement

Edelstein, R. Shima; Gouzman, I.; Folman, M.; Hoffman, A.; Rotter, Shlomo

doi:10.1016/s0925-9635(98)00261-1

Cited by 21 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…As a consequence, the direct growth of nanocrystalline diamond film on residual carbon‐rich TiSiN and TiAlSiN layers is facilitated. Comparatively, this behavior leads to a diamond nucleation enhancement effect similar to what had been obtained by predepositing a carbon intermediate layer such as DLC, graphite, or amorphous carbon 27–29 …”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

“…Based on the above analysis, the origin of the nanocrystalline diamond films on the TiSiN and TiAlSiN substrates can be reasonably interpreted. It is known that the initial nucleation during diamond deposition is greatly determined by the carbon saturation on the substrate surface 26,27 . As a prerequisite to diamond nucleation and growth on a foreign substrate, carbon saturation has to be firstly established on the substrate and its surface, which may take a relatively long period (incubation time) depending on the nature of the substrate materials and the detailed deposition conditions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Diamond Growth on a Si Substrate With Ceramic Interlayers

Xiao

Hirose

et al. 2007

Journal of the American Ceramic Society

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Deposition of diamond films on Si substrates precoated with a series of ceramic intermediate layers was examined. The interlayers containing SiC, SiNx, SiCN, TiSiN, and TiAlSiN were prepared by a liquid injection plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method using alkoxide solution precursors. The subsequent diamond synthesis on these coatings was carried out by microwave plasma‐assisted CVD (MPCVD) using a H2–1%CH4 mixture. A higher nucleation density of diamond was obtained on these intermediate layers than on the as‐polished Si wafer, along with a nonuniform surface distribution of diamond. Diamond powder scratching pretreatment of these interlayers enhanced the nucleation density and promoted the formation of fully uniform diamond films. Particularly, nanocrystalline diamond films were directly generated on TiSiN and TiAlSiN layers under an identical deposition condition that had favored the formation of microcrystalline diamond films on Si wafers and the Si(C,N) interlayers. The mechanism for this difference is attributed primarily to a higher amount of residual amorphous carbon in TiSiN and TiAlSiN layers than that inside Si(C,N) layers.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diamond Growth on a Si Substrate With Ceramic Interlayers

Xiao

Hirose

et al. 2007

Journal of the American Ceramic Society

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“…Carbon diffusion and saturation processes are generally believed the most crucial stages for diamond nucleation [29,30]. Some authors claim that the enhancement of diamond nucleation densities is due to the formation of carbonaceous overlayer "stocks" on top of the substrate surface under their experimental conditions [31]. In our study, we see diamond growth occurring (at later stages) only at positions on the TiO 2 layer which had diamond seeds underneath, as seen in Fig.…”

Section: Nucleation and Growth Processsupporting

confidence: 60%

Analytical TEM study of CVD diamond growth on TiO2 sol–gel layers

Verbeeck

Turner

et al. 2012

Diamond and Related Materials

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The early growth stages of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond on a sol-gel TiO 2 film with buried ultra dispersed diamond seeds (UDD) have been studied. In order to investigate the diamond growth mechanism and understand the role of the TiO 2 layer in the growth process, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy-filtered TEM and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) techniques were applied to cross sectional diamond film samples. We find evidence for the formation of TiC crystallites inside the TiO 2 layer at different diamond growth stages. However, there is no evidence that diamond nucleation starts from these crystallites. Carbon diffusion into the TiO 2 layer and the chemical bonding state of carbon (sp 2 /sp 3 ) were both extensively investigated. We provide evidence that carbon diffuses through the TiO 2 layer and that the diamond seeds partially convert to amorphous carbon during growth. This carbon diffusion and diamond to amorphous carbon conversion make the seed areas below the TiO 2 layer grow and bend the TiO 2 layer upwards to form the nucleation center of the diamond film. In some of the protuberances a core of diamond seed remains, covered by amorphous carbon. It is however unlikely that the remaining seeds are still active during the growth process. Crown

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“…The process gave remarkably high, uniform, and conformal nucleation density over many materials, with the occasional lumps generated by residual large particles on the substrate. [46][47][48][49] 4 in H 2 ), the resultant films had remarkable properties, such as high Young's modulus and thermal diffusivity, which are dependent on the nucleation density, as will be discussed later. [50] Detailed investigations using synchrotron-based, near-edge X-ray absorption, fine-structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) showed that NCD films grown using this seeding approach and growth chemistry are of very high quality, with greater than 99% sp 3 bonding.…”

Section: Historical Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A SiC phase is often present in the case of higher temperature growths where some of the a-C-H reacts with the Si. The Rotter nucleation process [46][47][48] has been studied in detail [51] and a summary of the results is shown in Figure 9a-e. Figures 9a and b, respectively, show 1 mm Â 1 mm AFM topographic images of the top and undersides of the 60 nm thick NCD film which was grown on a Si substrate seeded by the modified Rotter process using a dispersion of explosively formed nanodiamond in ethanol. The difference in the morphology on the top side (rms roughness, 3.3 nm) vs. the underside (rms roughness, 0.3 nm) of the film is expected and is due to the columnar growth morphology observed in CVD-produced diamond films grown with H-rich gas chemistries.…”

Section: à2mentioning

confidence: 99%

The CVD of Nanodiamond Materials

Butler

Sumant

2008

Chemical Vapor Deposition

340

261

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The growth and characteristics of nanocrystalline diamond thin films with thicknesses from 20 nm to less than 5 mm are reviewed. These materials contain between 95% and >99.9% diamond crystallites, the balance being made up from other forms of carbon. Within this class of materials there is a continuous range of composition, characteristics, and properties which depend on the nucleation and growth conditions. It is convenient to classify these films as either ultra-nanocrystalline-diamond (UNCD) or nanocrystalline-diamond (NCD) based on their microstructure, properties, and growth environment. In general, UNCD materials are composed of small particles of diamond ca. 2-5 nm in size with sp 2 -carbon bonding between the particles. UNCD is usually grown in argon-rich, hydrogen-poor CVD environments, and may contain up to 95-98% sp 3 -bonded carbon. NCD materials start with high density nucleation, initiating nanometer-sized diamond domains which grow in a columnar manner with the grain size coarsening with thickness. NCD is generally grown in carbon-lean and hydrogen-rich environments. NCD and UNCD exhibit an interesting range of physical properties which find use in X-ray windows and lithography, micro-and nanomechanical and optical resonators, tribological shaft seals and atomic force microscopy (AFM) probes, electron field emitters, platforms for chemical and DNA sensing, and many other applications.

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Surface carbon saturation as a means of CVD diamond nucleation enhancement

Cited by 21 publications

References 23 publications

Diamond Growth on a Si Substrate With Ceramic Interlayers

Diamond Growth on a Si Substrate With Ceramic Interlayers

Analytical TEM study of CVD diamond growth on TiO2 sol–gel layers

The CVD of Nanodiamond Materials

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