DIAMOND GROWTH ON THIN TI WAFERS VIA CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION

Diamond film was synthesized on thin Ti wafers (as thin as 40 mu m) vi a hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD). The hydrogen embritt lement of the titanium substrate and the formation of a thick TiC inte rlayer were suppressed. A very low pressure (133 Pa) was employed to a chieve high-density rapid nucleation and thus to suppress the formatio n of TiC. Oxygen was added to source gases to lower the growth tempera ture and therefore to slow down the hydrogenation of the thin Ti subst rate. The role of the very low pressure during nucleation is discussed , providing insight into the nucleation mechanism of diamond on a tita nium substrate. The as-grown diamond films were characterized by scann ing electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and x-ray analysis.