A new nucleation method by electron cyclotron resonance enhanced microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition for deposition of (001)-oriented diamond films

A new nucleation method, which is different from bias-enhanced nucleation, was employed for the preparation of (001)-oriented diamond films on untreated, mirror-polished silicon substrates. The nucleation was realized in an electron cyclotron resonance enhanced microwave plasma at a pressure of about 10^-3 Torr which was 4 orders of magnitude lower than that normally used for bias-enhanced nucleation (∼tens Torr). Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were used to investigate the surface morphology and phase purity of the deposited diamond films. The new findings may provide us a route to further understand the nucleation mechanism of diamond films by chemical vapor deposition. © 1999 American Institute of Physics.