Quantifying CVD diamond growth and morphology: a useful technique for studying growth kinetics

We present formulae for determining alpha and the average growth rate in th e < 100 > and < 111 > directions (V-100 and V-111) from a micrograph of a s ingle diamond crystal. The growth-rate equations provide a simple and power ful tool for studies into the kinetics of diamond chemical vapour depositio n (CVD), as alternative measures of the growth rate are based on polycrysta lline films. A large part of the film kinetics is confounded with issues su ch as nucleation, film evolution, and differences between the crystallograp hic faces. Our measure of growth rate avoids these issues. The alpha equati on provides a simpler and more accurate method to determine its value than other methods described in literature. The derivation of the equations is b ased on the progressive truncation of cubic and octahedral crystals by remo ving prisms from the corners to leave cubo-octahedral crystals. A worked ex ample of the application of the equations is presented. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.