ELECTRON-BEAM ASSISTED CHEMICAL ETCHING OF SINGLE-CRYSTAL DIAMOND SUBSTRATES WITH HYDROGEN GAS

The electron beam assisted chemical etching (EBACE) method with hydrog en gas is applicable to direct fine patterning of single-crystal diamo nd substrates. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) combined with a ga s introduction system was used for EBACE. Hole, line and rectangular p atterns were successfully fabricated. In the case of fabrication of th e rectangular pattern, the etched depths are proportional to the elect ron dose. The etching rate using oxygen gas is faster than that using hydrogen gas. Raman scattering was used to confirm whether amorphous c arbon was formed on the etched areas. The obtained Raman spectra indic ate that areas etched using both hydrogen gas and oxygen gas do not fo rm amorphous carbon.