CROSS-SECTIONAL TRANSMISSION ELECTRON-MICROSCOPE OBSERVATION OF ISOLATED DIAMOND PARTICLES HETEROEPITAXIALLY GROWN ON PT(111) SUBSTRATE

Isolated diamond particles grown on a Pt(111) substrate are studied by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We found that almost all the heteroepitaxial diamond particles contain a Pt nucleus at the bottom center of each particle. The study suggests that a roug h Pt substrate surface plays an important role for diamond growth. Our results revealed that some diamond particles directly nucleate from t he Pt substrate, leading to the heteroepitaxial growth of diamond on t he Pt(111) substrate. The difference in the interface structure betwee n epitaxial and nonepitaxial diamond particles is also studied.