Bias enhanced nucleation and bias textured growth of diamond on silicon(100) in hot filament chemical vapor deposition

Abstract

A four-step process, i.e. pretreatment, heating, bias nucleation and bias growth, was developed to enhance diamond nucleation and to grow textured diamond(100) on Si(100) in a hot filament chemical vapor deposition chamber. A polycrystalline diamond film was optimally nucleated on Si(100) during the period of nucleation enhancement via a bias of −250 V for approximately 30 min, with 1% of methane concentration in hydrogen flowing into the chamber. The nucleation density of diamond is approximately 10 7 cm −2. The uniform nucleation area is as large as 1.5 in. in diameter. A textured diamond(100) film was grown on the nucleated polycrystalline diamond film, simply by adding a bias of −50 V at the growth step. The capability of using negative bias to control the orientation of diamond grains in the hot filament chemical vapor deposition system is new to the diamond community.