NUCLEATION SITE ARRAYS FOR IMPROVED GROWTH OF CRYSTALLINE DIAMOND FILM

DIAMOND FILMS ON NON-DIAMOND SUBSTRATES ARE USUALLY CHARACTERIZED BY HIGHLY DISORDERED MICROSTRUCTURE, LOW FILM DENSITY, AND POOR MORPHOLOGY; RESULTING IN DIFFICULTIES IN PRODUCING LARGE AREA, HIGH QUALITY FILMS. THE NUCLEATION AND GROWTH BEHAVIORS OF DIAMOND FILM ALLOW THE EMPLOYMENT OFARRAYS OF SMALL, SHALLOW CRATERS INTRODUCED INTO A HIGH-QUALITY SUBSTRATE SURFACE BY FOCUSED ION BEAM MILLING TO SPECIFY THE LOCATION AND REPETITION PATTERN OF DOMINANT NUCLEATION SITES. DEPOSITION ONTO SUBSTRATES PREPARED IN THIS MANNER SHOULD RESULT IN IMPROVED DIAMOND FILMS WHICH ARE MORE SUITABLE FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICE DESIGN AND FABRICATION. THIS STUDY VALIDATES THE INDUCED NUCLEATION SITE ARRAY CONCEPT AND DEMONSTRATES THE IMPROVED QUALITY OF DIAMOND FILMS. SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATION OF THIS TECHNIQUE WILL RESULT IN A SUBSTRATE PREPARATION PROCESS COMPATIBLE WITH MOST DIAMOND DEPOSITION PROCESSES.