Textured diamond growth by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition

Textured diamond films were deposited on different substrates by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition. A two-step process, substrate biasing during the nucleation stage and no-biasing during the growth stage, was used in this study. Diamond crystals with the C(001) planes parallel to the substrate surface were grown epitaxially oriented relative to the substrate. On Si(100) substrates, diamond crystals appear to be aligned with C[110] directions parallel to Si[110]. But diamond crystals are randomly oriented on Si(111) substrates. Without the bias pretreatment during the nucleation stage, we were not able to grow a flat textured diamond surface either. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the diamond films.