Review of advances in diamond thin film synthesis

Abstract

From time immemorial, diamond attracted a special attention not only as a precious gemstone but also as an application material due to its unique and unsurpassed properties. Interest in diamond thin film research has enormously increased owing to the fact that most of the diamond properties could be utilized for various applications only when it is in the form of a thin film. At present, diamond thin films are able to serve in applications such as electro-mechanical, electro-chemical, bio-medical, bio-sensing, optical, electronic, and machining. Chemical vapour deposition (CVD) is the standalone technique used for diamond thin film synthesis. The mechanism of which typically involves addition of one carbon atom at a time from carbon containing activated gas phase to an initial template resulting in sp3 carbon atom network (diamond). Depending on the synthesis conditions, diamond thin film can constitute epitaxial, oriented, and polycrystalline (micron- and nano-sized) diamond grains. This article reviews important advances that have taken place in diamond thin film synthesis.