ESTIMATION OF THE MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM SUBSTRATE TEMPERATURES FOR DIAMOND GROWTH FROM HYDROGEN HYDROCARBON-GAS MIXTURES

It is proposed in this paper that the minimum substrate temperature for diamond growth from hydrogen-hydrocarbon gas mixtures be determined by the packing arrangements of hydrocarbon fragments at the surface, and the maximum substrate temperature be limited by the diamond growth surface reconstruction, which can be prevented by saturating the surface dangling bonds with atomic hydrogen. Theoretical calculations have been done by a formula proposed by Dryburgh [J. Crystal Growth 130 (1993) 305], and the results show that diamond can be deposited at the substrate temperatures ranging from similar to 400 to similar to 1200 degrees C by low pressure chemical vapor deposition. This is consistent with experimental observations.