SINGLE CRYSTAL DIAMOND THIN FILMS

TECHNOLOGY FOR VAPOR-PHASE GROWTH OF THIN FILM DIAMOND IS ADVANCING RAPIDLY AND VALUABLE MARKETS EXIST FOR A WIDE RANGE OF DIAMOND FILMS PRODUCTS. HOWEVER, SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PROSPECTIVE APPLICATIONS, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN DIAMOND SEMICONDUCTOR ELECTRONICS, WILL NOT BE REALIZED UNLESS SINGLE CRYSTAL DIAMOND FILMS CAN BE PRODUCED ON REASONABLY INEXPENSIVE NONDIAMOND SUBSTRATES. THE PROPERTIES OF DIAMOND ARE SUCH THAT IT IS NOT COMPAIBLE WITH METHODS OF HETEROEPITAXIAL GROWTH WHICH HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY EMPLOYED WITH OTHER MATERIALS, BUT RECENT INVESTIGATIONS INVOLVING VERY HIGH DOSE CARBON ION IMPLANTATION INTO CERTAIN METALS SUCH AS COPPER HAVE SHOWN PROMISE FOR FORMATION OF DIAMOND HETEROEPITAXIALLY UPON THE METAL LATTICE. IF SUCH AN APPROACH CAN BE UTILIZED TO INDUCE COORDINATED GROWTH OF DIAMOND, THEN SINGLE CRYSTAL METAL FILMS PRODUCED ON SEMICONDUCTOR WAFERS WILL BE ABLE TO SERVE AS PRACTICAL SUBSTRATES FOR PREPARATION OF LARGE AREA SINGLE CRYSTAL DIAMOND FILMS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS SBIR PROGRAM IS TO DEMONSTRATE HETEROEPITAXIAL FORMATION OF DIAMOND UPON SINGLE CRYSTAL THIN FILMS OF COPPER. A SUCCESSFUL RESULT WILL ESTABLISH THE TECHNICAL BASIS FOR A WIDE RANGE OF SINGLE CRYSTAL DIAMOND FILM APPLICATIONS.