ORIENTED DIAMOND ON GRAPHITE FLAKES

Diamond was deposited by the microwave plasma chemical vapor depositio n method on a Si(100) substrate on which graphite flakes had been spre ad with their basal planes parallel to the substrate before deposition . Before diamond deposition, the substrate was preheated at 1200-degre es-C under hydrogen at 60 Torr to clean the surface of graphite flakes . Scanning electron micrographs showed that most of diamond particles were cubo-octahedral in morphology. The {111} planes of some diamond p articles, which were judged by their triangular shape, were often para llel to the (0001) plane of graphite. Furthermore, some [111]-oriented diamond particles were clearly nucleated at the edge of graphite. The possibility of heteroepitaxy of diamond on graphite was discussed bas ed on crystallographic considerations.