F. Fontaine et al., ANNEALING OF DIAMOND ABOVE 800-DEGREES-C - NEED FOR AND RESULTS OF SI3N4 ENCAPSULATION, DIAMOND AND RELATED MATERIALS, 4(5-6), 1995, pp. 596-599
A boron-implanted marker and secondary ion mass spectroscopy analysis
were used for diamond etching assessment. Trace amounts of oxygen in a
rgon etch polycrystalline diamond films during annealing at 800 degree
s C. The deposition of a protective PECVD hydrogenated amorphous silic
on nitride layer prevents such etching during annealing at: least up t
o 1300 degrees C. The hydrogen losses of Si3N4 during heating, from 10
% after growth to 0.5% at 1000 degrees C, do not reduce the diffusion
barrier efficiency. This is attributed to Si-N bond reconstruction dur
ing H effusion. The influence of high temperature annealing on the dia
mond film was studied by IR transmission spectroscopy and X-ray microa
nalysis. No carbon compound was found on the diamond surface after ann
ealing and Si3N4 removal. However, a large amount of silicon carbide w
as observed after annealing above 1100 degrees C at the interface betw
een the diamond film and the silicon substrate.