Hydrogen diffusion in polycrystalline boron doped and undoped diamond.

Abstract

ABSTRACTHydrogen (deuterium used as tracer) diffusion experiments were performed on undoped and boron doped diamond films ([B] = 1019and 1020 cm−3) grown by plasma CVD or hot-filament assisted CVD. The samples were exposed either to a radiofrequency plasma or a microwave plasma at different temperatures between 400°C and 900°C. The deuterium profiles were analysed by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The deuterium diffusion was explained mainly in term of trapping on intergranular defects. The passivation of boron acceptors, by B-D complex formation in the deuterium diffused superficial layers of the diamond films, was followed by electrochemical and mercury probe capacitance measurements. The results suggest a strong decrease of the free carrier density, which is in accordance with passivation of free carriers by deuterium trapping on dopant.