Growth of preferentially oriented cubic boron nitride films by chemical vapor deposition

Abstract

Preferentially oriented cubic boron nitride films on nickel substrates have been grown using hot-filament-assisted rf plasma chemical vapor deposition method. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that the cubic boron nitride films are stoichiometric. Scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction show that the films are of high quality with well-faceted and (220) preferentially oriented grains, without x-ray diffraction detectable hexagonal boron nitride phase. The nucleation and growth process has been investigated. After 40 min deposition, well aligned, well faceted cubic boron nitride nuclei can be seen on the substrates, and after 2 h deposition, the rectangular grains can be seen on the substrate with their corresponding edges parallel to each other in scanning electron microscopic images. The ratio of the diffraction peak height of (220) face to that of (111) face is about 5.2 in the x-ray diffraction pattern, but the corresponding value of the random cubic boron nitride crystallites is only 0.06.