GROWTH OF SINGLE DIAMOND CRYSTALLITES AROUND NANOMETER-SCALE SILICON WIRES

Diamond crystallites were nucleated and grown from the vapor phase on silicon substrates previously processed into arrays of nanometer-scale silicon wires, We found that the nanowires did not aid nucleation, an d that the nucleation density on the nanowire base was very low (<10(4 ) cm(-2)), Most importantly, we discovered that single diamond crystal lites grew around the nanowires, infiltrating the nanowire arrays, for ming new composite structures. This discovery clearly shows how inclus ions can be trapped in vapor grown diamond crystallites, and challenge s the common assumption that growth precursors on the diamond surface are relatively immobile. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.