The growth of diamond films on laser-etched porous silicon

Porous silicon (PS) layers have been coated with diamond films fabricated b y the process of chemical vapor deposition using ethanol (C2H5OH) diluted i n hydrogen (99.5 vol%) as the source of carbon. PS was prepared by laser-as sisted electrochemistry in electrolytes of HF/C2H5OH/H2O to obtain material with I red and blue luminescence. Analysis of the diamond/PS structures by micro-Raman spectroscopy was undertaken simultaneously with micro-photolum inescence spectroscopy to enable correlation of the characteristics of the luminescence spectra with the probable emission structures . The results de monstrate that it is possible to obtain coatings of high quality diamond wi th preservation of blue luminescence of the PS and that apparently there is a conversion of part of the PS into amorphous hydrogenated Si during the d eposition process. Morphological data obtained by scanning electron microsc opy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are also discussed.