Quantitative In Situ Growth Measurements of Chlorine-Activated Homoepitaxial Diamond Cvd

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn situ quantitative studies of the effects of substrate temperature, methane and chlorine flow rates on homoepitaxial diamond growth rates on (110) surfaces in a chlorine-activated diamond CVD reactor have been carried out using a Fizeau interferometer. The temperature dependence of diamond growth rates was found to display three distinct growth activation energies, ranging from 9±2 kcal/mol in the substrate temperature of 750-950°C, to 3.2±0.2 kcal/mol in the temperature range of 300-650°C, followed by 1.2±0.2 kcal/mol in the temperature range of 102-250°C. Atomic hydrogen is believed to be the dominant activating species in the highest temperature range, and atomic chlorine is believed to be the dominant species in the lower temperature regions. Studies of the methane flow effect on diamond growth rates revealed a linearity, indicating that the diamond growth rate was of the first order in methane flows. Diamond growth rates were also found to increase linearly with the chlorine flow. At high chlorine flow rates, however, an accelerated diamond growth rate was observed. Discussion is given to explain the observed results.