Quantifying CVD diamond growth and morphology: a useful technique for studying growth kinetics

We present formulae for determining alpha and the average growth rate in the < 100 > and < 111 > directions (V-100 and V-111) from a micrograph of a single diamond crystal. The growth-rate equations provide a simple and powerful tool for studies into the kinetics of diamond chemical vapour deposition (CVD), as alternative measures of the growth rate are based on polycrystalline films. A large part of the film kinetics is confounded with issues such as nucleation, film evolution, and differences between the crystallographic faces. Our measure of growth rate avoids these issues. The alpha equation provides a simpler and more accurate method to determine its value than other methods described in literature. The derivation of the equations is based on the progressive truncation of cubic and octahedral crystals by removing prisms from the corners to leave cubo-octahedral crystals. A worked example of the application of the equations is presented. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.