Microstructural evolution of diamond thin film grown on a silicon substrate via a surface-wave plasma system: Identification of intermediated phase

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 680; p. 161410
• Main Authors: Pyo Hong, Seung, Hoon Kim, Jong, Hyeon Jeong, Tae, Lee, Kang-il, Chang Park, Yun, Kim, Yong-Il, Heon Kim, Young
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 30.01.2025
• Subjects: Diamond film; EELS; HR-TEM; Planar defects; SiC layer; UV; ABF; ELNES; EELS; HR; Diamond film; Planar defects; STEM; HR-TEM; CVD; FFT; SiC layer; SEM; TEM; HAADF; DC
• ISSN: 0169-4332
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2024.161410

[Display omitted] •Diamond thin films were deposited on a Si surface by a surface-wave plasma system.•A novel interlayer atomic structure exists between diamond thin films and substrate.•Tetrahedral coordination of diamond was confirmed by EELS.•A SiC interlayer between thin film and substrate relieved lattice mismatch.•TEM revealed twin boundaries and stacking faults within diamond grains. Diamond thin films are promising for diverse applications because of their exceptional properties. Understanding the interface between diamond films and substrates is crucial for optimizing the film quality and functionality. In this study, a diamond thin film was grown on a Si(100) substrate using a microwave-based surface-wave plasma system and subjected to transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). The formation of a SiC interlayer was identified at the interface between the diamond thin film and Si substrate through cross-sectional TEM and EELS. Analysis of the atomic structure and crystalline properties indicated that the interlayer was β-SiC and that the orientation relationships [110]β-SiC//[110]Si and (111)β-SiC//(111)Si existed at the β-SiC/Si interface. The β-SiC interlayer exhibited the {111} extra half-planes, because they were more easily formed by the {111} planes than the {110} extra half-planes generated on {001} planes through 60° misfit dislocations. Many stacking faults and microtwins were observed in the diamond grains; such planar defects were likely attributed to strain behavior and complex contrasts at the nanoscale.