Spatial distribution of impurity centres was studied using local optical sp
ectroscopy in HPHT synthetic diamonds obtained at 1750 K in the Fe-N-C syst
em. The impurity aggregation rate was found to depend on growth rate for ce
rtain {1 1 1} sector. In sectors grown with higher rate the outer yellow Ib
-type layer about 1 mm thick with dominating nitrogen C-defects and the int
ernal colourless, strongly luminescent area of Ia type, where impurities ar
e aggregated into nitrogen A-defects and a variety of different nickel-nitr
ogen complexes were found. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserv
ed.