MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF DIAMOND CRYSTALS ELABORATED BY MICROWAVE PLASMA-ASSISTED CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION - APPLICATION TO TEXTURED FILMS

Morphometric analysis was carried out on both isolated single-crystal and multiply twinned diamond particles (MTPs) elaborated by microwave plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition, in order to determine, in our reactor, the growth parameter alpha as a function of deposition pa rameters such as substrate temperature and methane concentration. The evolution of alpha allows the MTPs to be described, in particular the formation of grooves at the emergence of the twin plane. Free-standing diamond films, elaborated using the same conditions as for isolated p articles, were characterized by X-ray texture measurements to deduce t he growth parameter alpha associated with these films. We reveal that the orientation of the silicon substrate can strongly delay texture fo rmation because of an unfavourable substrate effect. Finally, the grow th parameter alpha associated with diamond films is higher than the al pha value associated with isolated particles obtained under the same e xperimental conditions.