Low-pressure deposition of diamond by electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition

Diamond films have been deposited on silicon substrate using reactant gases of methane and hydrogen by electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) microwave pl asma chemical vapor deposition system. The deposition was carried out at a low pressure of 2 x 10(-3) Torr and the substrate temperature varied from a pproximately 600 degrees C to 800 degrees C. The film morphology was examin ed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the phase was determined using Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The variati on of gas composition over a range of 1-5% has a significant effect on the morphology of coatings. TEM analysis shows that the grain size was about 50 -100 nm. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.