Abstract

Diamond films deposited by microwave-assisted chemical-vapor deposition on silicon substrates have been polished by a beam of 500 eV oxygen ions from a 3 cm Kaufman- type ion gun. Before polishing, the films were planarized by the application of a spin-coated overcoat. The film's surface roughness was reduced from over 1 µm rms and 6µm peak-to-valley to 35 nm rms and 217 nm peak-to- valley. The polished films retained their diamond character, and surface contamination was negligible. The films were characterized by stylus and interferometric profilometry, optical microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The polishing process, although still under development, makes optical applications in the near-infrared region realizable for diamond films.

© 1990 Optical Society of America