Influence of the gas phase on doping in diamond chemical vapor deposition

A series of calculations has been carried out to examine the relationship b etween gas phase composition and film composition in diamond chemical vapor deposition. It is predicted that the ability to carry out in situ doping o f films with N and S, and the inability to dope with O, can be explained fr om a simple thermodynamic perspective. Probable precursor dopant species ar e identified as . CN and . SH for the CH4/H-2/N-2 and CH4/H-2/H2S systems, although it is expected that these are the most likely precursors regardles s of the initial forms of nitrogen and sulfur. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B. V. All rights reserved.