It is known that highly oriented, polycrystalline films (HOD) can be heteroepitaxially grown on silicon substrates by precisely controlling the nucleation and textured growth steps. A goal of this project is to understand these synthesis steps. The adjacent SEM picture at left, 10 x 10 microns, displays a several micron thick polycrystalline diamond film, which was deposited on a {100} silicon substrate by a (100) textured; plasma enhanced CVD growth process. The film displays a relativity smooth surface consisting only of crystals with {100} facets. The crystals are not in expitaxial alignment relative to the silicon substrate.

Experiments are directed toward understanding the nucleation process where the initial state of the silicon substrate shown in the AFM pictures below are related to the film growth process. The AFM picture at left, 2 x 2 microns, displays a surface with small ridges and bumps. Synthesis and film characterization experiments are directed toward understanding the initial state of the substrate, the nucleation, the growth process, and finally the resulting film morphology.