CVD diamond grown by microwave plasma in mixtures of acetone/oxygen and acetone/carbon dioxide

Diamond has been deposited on silicon and molybdenum substrates by microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique in acetone/oxygen and acetone/carbon dioxide mixtures. A narrow C/O ratio around I:1 was found necessary for diamond to be deposited under our deposition conditions. Diamond of good quality was deposited at rates exceeding 25 mu m/h. By the use of high power density microwave plasmas, diamond deposition using these two mixtures has been achieved at substrate temperatures up to around 1300 degrees C. A comparison between the diamond deposition process using these two mixtures without additional hydrogen gas and the traditional diamond deposition process using the mixture of methane and hydrogen will be made. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.