Bias enhanced nucleation and bias textured growth of diamond on silicon(100) in hot filament chemical vapor deposition

A four-step process, i.e. pretreatment, heating, bias nucleation and bias growth, was developed to enhance diamond nucleation and to grow textured diamond(100) on Si(100) in a hot filament chemical vapor deposition chamber. A polycrystalline diamond film was optimally nucleated on Si(100) during the period of nucleation enhancement via a bias of - 250 V for approximately 30 min, with 1% of methane concentration in hydrogen flowing into the chamber. The nucleation density of diamond is approximately 10(7) cm(-2). The uniform nucleation area is as large as 1.5 in. in diameter. A textured diamond(100) film was grown on the nucleated polycrystalline diamond film. simply by adding a bias of -50 V at the growth step. The capability of using negative bias to control the orientation of diamond rains in the hot filament chemical vapor deposition system is new to the diamond community. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.