Abstract
The role of aluminum nitride (AlN) as a buffer layer on the nucleation and growth of diamond on silicon and steel substrates during hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HF-CVD) has been investigated systematically. The scanning Auger electron microscopy (AES) is employed to study chemistry and content of carbon on the surface and in subsurface regions of AlN as a function of HF-CVD parameters. It is found that AlN offers an excellent diffusion barrier for carbon over a wide range of temperature and hydrocarbon content of CVD gas environment, with simultaneous inhibition of graphitization. It also facilitates nucleation of diamond phase. The surface reactions between AlN and carbon are discussed in terms of hydrogen-assisted phase transformations. We have developed a two-step procedure to obtain a continuous diamond film on steel substrates. The characteristic features of AlN have been exploited to obtain adherent and graphite-free diamond deposits on various types of steels, including low carbon steel, tool steel, high speed steel, and bearing steel.
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