Abstract

A highly-oriented diamond thin film was synthesized on a Si (100) wafer by a multistep microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (multi-step MPCVD) process. The Si substrate was carburized in a mixture of CH₄ and H₂ without bias and then with a negative bias. The "mesh structure" oriented to the Si (100) was important as an indicator of oriented nucleation. Diamond nuclei were grown to [100] until most of randomly oriented nuclei were buried by {111} faces. The conditions were then switched to those preferred for the [111] growth. This procedure led to a highly [100]-oriented film, but steps between crystallites still remained. Finally CO2 was introduced and MPCVD was continued. A remarkably smooth diamond film was thus obtained.

© 1995 Optical Society of America