METHOD OF FABRICATING A FREESTANDING DIAMOND SINGLE-CRYSTAL USING GROWTH FROM THE VAPOR-PHASE

By combining a low temperature (600 degrees C) chemical vapor depositi on process for homoepitaxial diamond and conventional ion implantation , we have made and lifted off a synthetic diamond single crystal plate . Before growth, a type Ia C(100) crystal was exposed to a self implan t of 190 keV energy and dose of 1 X 10(16) cm(-2). Homoepitaxial diamo nd growth conditions were used that are based on water-alcohol source chemistries. To achieve layer separation (''lift-off''), samples were annealed to a temperature sufficient to graphitize the buried implant- damaged region. Contactless electrochemical etching was found to remov e the graphite, and a transparent synthetic (100) single crystal diamo nd plate of 17.5 mu m thickness was lifted off. This free-standing dia mond single crystal plate was characterized and found to be comparable to homoepitaxial films grown on unimplanted single crystal diamond. ( C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.