SMALL-SCALE ELECTRONIC TRANSPORT IN DIAMOND MICROCRYSTALS

The interpretation of electronic transport in polycrystalline diamond has proven difficult as a result of the disorder arising from physical and chemical inhomogeneities. We describe experimental methods, based on electron beam lithography, for studying transport in single crysta llites grown by CVD on Si substrates. The electrical contacting proces s utilizes the flexibility of the scanning electron microscope to writ e metallic contacts to individual crystallites with lateral dimensions of a few mu m. A detailed analysis of the current distribution in the crystals allows us to extract the electronic conductivity from arbitr arily shaped, faceted crystals. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.