THIN-FILM DIAMOND SENSOR TECHNOLOGY

Modern thin film sensor technology imposes stringent demands upon mate rial duality, highly qualified downstream process technologies, device performance and integrity. Since the earliest stages of its developme nt, crystalline thin film diamond has been promoted as a semiconductor material for high power, high frequency or high temperature electroni cs. These predictions have been based largely on early experiments mad e with small single crystal stones. As the properties of thin thin dia mond are beginning to match up with those of single crystal diamond th e real scope for diamond in electronics is being realised. This paper reviews some of the developments made in thin film diamond sensors at AEA Technology. The development of chemical vapour deposition processe s for manufacturing wafer scale insulating and doped semiconducting di amond are reviewed. The development of downstream process technologies such as device delineation and contact technology are discussed. Fina lly some demonstration devices are presented which illustrate the mate rial issues that have arisen in diamond sensor technology and its pote ntial.