Variation of the Photoelectric Threshold of Boron Doped Diamond Films

Abstract

AbstractBoron doped polycrystalline diamond films grown on p-type single-crystal Si substrates using chemical vapor deposition with a gas mixture of hydrogen, methane and diborane were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and photoelectric current measurements. The energy distributions are not sensitive to boron doping for diborane concentrations from 0 to 4.75 ppm, although the boron doping modifies the surface morphology and the photoemission intensity. The photoemission intensity is high where the microcrystalline content is highest (at diborane concentrations of 2.91 and 4.75 ppm. The photoelectric threshold is found to be at 4.38 eV, in agreement with earlier measurements. The present results are characteristic of valence band emission at 4.38, 4.63, 4.92, 5.12 and 5.30 eV for incident photons between 4.87 and 5.63 eV.