Abstract
Thin carbon films grown from a low pressure methane-hydrogen gas mixture by microwave plasma enhanced CVD have been examined by Auger electron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, electron and x-ray diffraction, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. They were determined to be similar to natural diamond in terms of composition, structure, and bonding. The surface morphology of the diamond films was a function of position on the sample surface and the methane concentration in the feedgas. Well-faceted diamond crystals were observed near the center of the sample whereas a less faceted, cauliflower texture was observed near the edge of the sample, presumably due to variations in temperature across the surface of the sample. Regarding methane concentration effects, threefold {111} faceted diamond crystals were predominant on a film grown at 0.3% CH4 in H2 while fourfold {100} facets were observed on films grown in 1.0% and 2.0% CH4 in H2. Transmission electron microscopy of the diamond films has shown that the majority of diamond crystals have a very high defect density comprised of {111} twins, {111} stacking faults, and dislocations. In addition, cross-sectional TEM has revealed a 50 Å epitaxial layer of β3–SiC at the diamond-silicon interface of a film grown with 0.3% CH4 in H2 while no such layer was observed on a diamond film grown in 2.0% CH4 in H2.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Landolt and Börnstein, Numerical Data and Functional Relationships in Science and Technology (Springer-Verlag, 1987).
J. E. Field, Properties of Diamond (Academic Press, London, 1979).
V. K. Bazhenov, I. M. Vikulin, and A. G. Gontar, Sov. Phys. Semi-cond. 19 (8), 829 (1985).
B. V. Derjaguin, B. V. Spitsyn, A. E. Gorodetsky, A. P. Zakharov, L. I. Bouilov, and A. E. Aleksenko, J. Crystal Growth 31, 44 (1975).
B. V. Deryagin, D. V. Fedoseev, N. D. Polyanskaya, and E. V. Statenkova, Sov. Phys. Crystallogr. 21 (2), 239 (1976).
B. V. Deryagin, V. G. Lyuttsau, D. V. Fedoseev, and V. A. Ryabov, Sov. Phys. Dokl. 15 (1), 58 (1970).
D. V. Fedoseev, V. P. Varnin, and B. V. Deryagin, Sov. Phys. Dokl. 15 (8), 787 (1971).
M. W. Geis, presented at the Third Annual SDIO/IST-ONR Diamond Technology Initiative Symposium, Crystal City, VA, July (1988).
H. Nakazawa, Y. Kanazawa, M. Kamo, and K. Osumi, Thin Solid Films 151 (2), 199 (1987).
B. Singh, Y. Arie, A. W. Levine, and O. R. Mesker, Appl. Phys. Lett. 52 (6), 451 (1988).
S. Matsumoto and Y. Matsui, J. Mater. Sci. 18, 1785 (1983).
A. Sawabe and T. Inuzuka, Thin Solid Films 137, 89 (1986).
S. Matsumoto, J. Mater. Sci. Lett. 4, 600 (1985).
Y. Sato, M. Kamo, and N. Setaka, in High Tech Ceramics, edited by P. Vincenzini (Elsevier Science Publishers B. V., Amsterdam, 1987).
K. Kobashi, K. Nishimura, Y. Kawate, and T. Horiuchi, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 6 (3), 1816 (1988).
H. Kawarada, K. S. Mar, and A. Hiraki, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26 (6) L1032 (1987).
M. Kamo, Y. Sato, S. Matsumoto, and N. Setaka, J. Cryst. Growth 62, 642 (1983).
Y Mitsuda, Y. Kojima, T. Yoshida, and K. Akashi, J. Mater. Sci. 22, 1557 (1987).
P. K. Bachmann, W. Drawl, Diane Knight, R. Weimer, and R. F. Messier, in Diamond and Diamond-Like Materials Synthesis, edited by G. H. Johnson, A. R. Badzian, and M. W. Geis (Materials Research Society, 1988).
C. P. Chang, D. L. Flamm, D. E. Ibbotson, and J. A. Mucha, J. Appl. Phys. 63 (5), 1744 (1988).
Y Saito, S. Matsuda, and S. Nogita, J. Mater. Sci. Lett. 5, 565 (1986).
R. J. Nemanich, R. E. Shroder, J. T. Glass, and G. Lucovsky, to be published in the Proc. 19th Int. Conf. on the Physics of Semiconductors, Warsaw, Poland, August 1988.
R. J. Nemanich, J. T. Glass, G. Lucovsky, and R. E. Shroder, J. Vac. Sei. Technol. 6 (3), 1783 (1988).
H. Kawarada, K. S. Mar, J. Suzuki, T. Ito, H. Mori, H. Fujita, and A. Hiraki, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 26 (11), L1903 (1987).
B. E. Williams, J. T. Glass, R. F. Davis, K. Kobashi, and Y. Kawate, in Diamond and Diamond-Like Materials Synthesis, edited by G. H. Johnson, A. R. Badzian, and M. W. Geis (Materials Research Society, 1988).
K. Kobashi, K. Nishimura, Y. Kawate, and T. Horiuchi, Phys. Rev. B 38 (6), 4067 (1988).
Handbook of Auger Electron Spectroscopy (JEOL Ltd., Tokyo, 1982).
L. C. Feldman and J. W. Mayer, Fundamentals of Surface and Thin Film Analysis (North-Holland, New York, 1986).
H. A. Storms, K. F. Brown, and J. D. Stein, Anal. Chem. 49 (13), 2023 (1977).
S. Berg and L. P. Andersson, Thin Solid Films 58, 117 (1979).
D. C. Ingram, J. A. Woollam, and Bu-Abbud, Thin Solid Films 137, 225 (1986).
J. C. Angus, Thin Solid Films 142, 145 (1986).
O. Matsumoto, H. Toshima, and Y. Kanzaki, Thin Solid Films 128, 341 (1985).
M. J. Mirtich, J. S. Sovey, and B. A. Banks, NASA Tech. Briefs, p. 139, May/June (1986).
T. Mori and Y. Namba, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 1 (1), 23 (1983).
F. R. McFeely, S. P. Kowalczyk, L. Ley, R. G. Cavell, R. A. Pollak, and D. A. Shirley, Phys. Rev. B 9 (12), 5268 (1974).
P. G. Lurie and J. M. Wilson, Surf. Sci. 65, 476 (1977).
H. H. Madden, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. 18 (3), 677 (1981).
R. F. Egerton and M. J. Whelan, Philos. Mag. 30, 739 (1974).
S. A. Solin and A. K. Ramdas, Phys. Rev. B 1 (4), 1687 (1970).
N. Wada and S. A. Solin, Physica B 105, 353 (1981).
G. S. Woods, Philos. Mag. 23, 473 (1971).
G. S. Woods, Philos. Mag. 34 (6), 993 (1976).
L. F. Trueb, J. Appl. Phys. 39 (10), 4707 (1968).
C. Phaal and G. Zuidema, Philos. Mag. 14 (127), 79 (1966).
Y. Moriyoshi, M. Kamo, N. Setaka, and Y. Sato, J. Mater. Sci. 18, 217 (1983).
P. Humble, Proc. R. Soc. London, A 381, 65 (1982).
P. Humble, D. F. Lynch, and A. Olsen, Philos. Mag. A 52 (5), 623 (1985).
P. Humble, J. K. Mackenzie, and A. Olsen, Philos. Mag. A 52 (5), 605 (1985).
C. H. Carter, R. F. Davis, and S. R. Nutt, J. Mater. Res. 1 (6), 811 (1986).
H. P. Liaw and R. F. Davis, J. Electrochem. Soc. 12 (131), 3014 (1984).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Williams, B.E., Glass, J.T. Characterization of diamond thin films: Diamond phase identification, surface morphology, and defect structures. Journal of Materials Research 4, 373–384 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1989.0373
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1989.0373