Hot-filament chemical vapour deposition of nanodiamond on silicon nitride substrates

Nearly continuous nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films were successfully grown on silicon nitride (Si(3)N(4)) substrates, after I h of deposition time, using hot-filament chemical vapour deposition technique with a gas mixture of Ar-CH(4)-H(2). The optimal deposition parameters were: filament temperature congruent to 2200 degreesC substrate temperature congruent to 650 degreesC, Ar/H(2) gas flow ratio = 1.2, CH(4)/H(2) gas flow ratio = 0.04 and gas mass flows of 50 or 100 ml min(-1). The identification and characterization of NCD was done by mu-Raman spectroscopy, low incident beam angle diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.