Influence of nitrogen doping on growth rate and texture evolution of chemical vapor deposition diamond films

Abstract

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond films were prepared using a variation in nitrogen addition into the gas source admixture by a direct current CVD method. The influence of nitrogen addition on the crystallographic texture and grain shape evolution in heteroepitaxial polycrystalline diamond films was investigated using high-resolution electron backscattering diffraction and x-ray diffraction. The analysis reveals that an addition of 1.5% N2 to the CH4 gas flow leads to a strong enhancement in a {110} fiber texture. The phenomenon is discussed in terms of a competitive growth selection mechanism.