Effect of oxygen on the bias-enhanced nucleation of diamond on silicon

M. Schreck, Carsten Christensen, B. Stritzker

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

    Abstract

    The influence of traces of oxygen in the process gas on the bias-enhanced nucleation (BEN) of diamond on silicon has been studied in the present work. CO2 in concentrations ranging from 0 to 3000 ppm was added during the nucleation procedure at U-bias = -200 V in microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition (MPCVD). A significant influence of CO2 could already be detected for a concentration of 75 ppm, corresponding to a C:O ratio of 600:1. It resulted in a continuous reduction of the biasing current and a delay in the nucleation process accompanied by a decrease of the final diamond-covered substrate surface area with increasing CO2 concentration. At 3000 ppm, the nucleation was completely suppressed. An etching of diamond nuclei by the oxygen could be excluded from in-situ growth rate measurements under bias. Instead, optical emission spectra of the IIB Balmer line indicated a decrease in electrical field strength in the plasma above the substrate. For all gas compositions allowing diamond nucleation, epitaxially aligned films could be obtained, provided that the duration of the biasing step was chosen appropriately. Thus, traces of oxygen do not completely suppress epitaxy. However, the in-plane orientation of the films as determined by X-ray diffraction measurements deteriorates with increasing oxygen concentration. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalDiamond and Related Materials
    Volume8
    Issue number2-5
    Pages (from-to)160-165
    ISSN0925-9635
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1999
    Event9th European Conference on Diamond, Diamond-like Materials, Nitrides and Silicon Carbide - Iraklion, Greece
    Duration: 13 Sept 199818 Sept 1998
    Conference number: 9

    Conference

    Conference9th European Conference on Diamond, Diamond-like Materials, Nitrides and Silicon Carbide
    Number9
    Country/TerritoryGreece
    CityIraklion
    Period13/09/199818/09/1998

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