Electron spectroscopy of the diamond surface

Abstract

The diamond surface is studied by ionization loss spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. For surfaces heated to <900 °C, the band gap was found to be devoid of empty states in the absence of electron beam effects. The incident electron beam generates empty states in the band gap and loss of structure in the valence band for these surfaces. A cross section of 1.4×10−19 cm2 was obtained for this effect. For surfaces heated to ≳900 °C the spectra were identical to those from surfaces modified by the electron beam. The diamond surface undergoes a thermal conversion in its electronic structure at ∼900 °C.