Heteroepitaxial diamond growth process on platinum (111)

Diamond films were grown on single crystal Pt (111) by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition. It was found that coalescence between neighboring (111) faces of diamond developed significantly on the film surface. Scanning electron microscopy observations of the growth process showed that the [111]-oriented diamond crystals became dominant on the film surface as a result of the overgrowth of randomly oriented crystals, Tn early stages of the growth, dissolution and recrystallization of diamond seemed to occur at the Pt surface. It was also observed that some small diamond crystals rotate and translate to lake the epitaxial alignment. It was concluded that the dynamic movement and interaction (rotation, translation, dissolution, and recrystallization) of the small diamond crystals are important Factors for the epitaxial growth on Pt. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.