DIAMOND EPITAXY ON (001)SILICON - AN INTERFACE INVESTIGATION

In combination with scanning electron microscopy and x-ray pole-figure analysis high resolution electron microscope (HREM) observation of th e diamond-silicon cross section in a [001] epitaxially oriented diamon d film was carried out to investigate the atomic interfacial microstru cture. The films were prepared by microwave plasma chemical vapor depo sition using a bias-enhanced nucleation technique. Due to the multiple fit of diamond and silicon lattices, there is a periodic 3-to-2 regis try of {111} atom planes of the epitaxial diamond-silicon interface. P lanar defects on diamond {111} planes and interface misfit dislocation s are shown for epitaxially oriented and for slightly misoriented diam ond crystallites. A cubic silicon carbide ''transition'' is found to b e unnecessary for the epitaxy. The misorientation of the grown crystal lites is also studied and found to be probably due to interface imperf ection. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.