FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED EMISSION TECHNIQUE FOR IN SITU DIAGNOSTICS FOR DIAMOND FILM GROWTH

THE AIM OF THIS PROJECT IS TO EVALUATE THE USE OF FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED (FTIR) EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY FOR CHARACTERIZING THE DIAMOND THIN FILM DEPOSITION PROCESS WITH IN SITU MEASUREMENTS. AN FTIR SPECTROMETER WILL BE INSTALLED ON A COMMERCIALLY-AVAILABLE DIAMOND REACTOR TO RECORD THE INFRARED RADIATION FROM A SILICON SUBSTRATE PASSING THROUGH A GROWING DIAMOND FILM AND THE REACTIVE PROCESSING GASES. THE PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON IN SITU MEASUREMENTS OF FILM THICKNESS AND GROWTH RATE, ABSORPTION IN THE FILM DUE TO C-H STRETCH, AND ABSORPTION BY THE REACTIVE GASES. IN SITU MEASUREMENTS OF THESE CHARACTERISTICS WILL LEAD TO RAPID DIAMOND THIN FILM PROCESS DEVELOPMENT FOR IMPORTANT APPLICATIONS, SUCH AS INFRARED OPTICS, HEAT SINKS, TOOL COATINGS, AND HIGH-QUALITY DIAMOND FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS/POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS - AN FTIR IN SITU DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR MONITORING AND CONTROLLING DIAMOND THIN FILM PROCESSING WILL LEAD TO SHORTER PROCESS DEVELOPMENT CYCLES FOR MANY DIAMOND APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING THE PRODUCTION OF HEAT SINKS AND TOOL COATINGS. IN SITU MONITORING WILL ALSO ENSURE THAT HIGH QUALITY DIAMOND IS REPRODUCIBLY MANUFACTURED FOR PRODUCTION OF INFRARED WINDOWS AND OTHER OPTICAL APPLICATIONS.