EPITAXIAL GROWTH OF SINGLE CRYSTAL DIAMOND ON SILICON

NUCLEATION REMAINS AN OBSTABLE TO THE GROWTH OF SINGLE CRYSTAL FILMS OF DIAMOND ON NON-DIAMOND SUBSTRATES. TWO KEY FACTORS CONTROL THE NUCLEATION OF DIAMOND ON SI: THE FORMATION OF A SIC LAYER BETWEEN THE SI AND THE FILM, AND SPONTANEOUS NUCLEATION OF THE SIC ON THE CONTAMINATED SI SURFACE. IMPRECISE CONTROL OF THE NUCLEATED SIC LAYER HAS DEFEATED PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS AT HETEROEPITAXY OF DIAMOND ON SI. THIS RESEARCH WILL USE A SPIN ETCH METHOD TO REDUCE THE C AND O CONTAMINATIONS ON THE SI SURFACE TO < 0.05 MONOLAYER. SCRUBBING OF REACTANT GASES WILL REDUCE O2 AND H2O TO < 10 PPB AND PREVENT RECONTAMINATION OF THE DEPOSITION. CAREFUL PREPARATION OF THE SI SURFACE SHOULD CAUSE THE SIC LAYER TO NUCLEATE EPITAXIALLY ON THE SI AND AS A SINGLE CRYSTAL. IF NECESSARY, WE WILL USE LASER ABLATION TO TAILOR THE COMPOSITION OF THE SIC TO ENHANCE HETEROEPITAXY OR DEPOSIT OTHER BUFFER LAYERS. GIVEN A SINGLE CRYSTAL BUFFER LAYER, THE NUCLEATION OF A SINGLE CRYSTAL DIAMOND FILM SHOULD BE STRAIGHTFORWARD.