HETEROEPITAXIAL GROWTH OF HIGHLY ORIENTED DIAMOND ON CUBIC SILICON-CARBIDE

We have deposited epitaxial diamond films with very low angular spread on epitaxial beta-phase silicon carbide layers on silicon (001) subst rates. From x-ray rocking curve measurements, half-widths of the angul ar spread of the crystal orientation as low as 0.6 degrees have been d etermined, which is the smallest value ever reported in heteroepitaxia l diamond films and appears to be smaller than those of the beta-phase silicon carbide underlayers. The him surface exhibits a roughness of about 100 nm with very few discernible boundaries due to misorientatio n. The optimization of the bias-enhanced nucleation process and the co ntrol of selective growth are the main factors for the improvement of the crystallinity. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.