DISCHARGE INDUCED ENHANCEMENT OF DIAMOND NUCLEATION ON SI VIA HOT-FILAMENT CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION

A new pretreatment method involving a direct current discharge was use d to enhance diamond nucleation an mirror polished silicon substrates employing hot filament chemical vapor deposition. A nucleation density of 10(8)/cm(2) was obtained. The nucleation density on Si substrates pretreated by the discharge at room temperature is similar to that tre ated at high temperature. The discharge process was monitored by optic al emission spectroscopy. Raman scattering, scanning electron microsco py, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were employed to analyze the pretreated Si substrate. The results suggest that a thin carbon layer formed during the discharge pretreatment process which contributes to the enhancement of diamond nucleation. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(98)00811-1].