THE ELECTRICAL-PROPERTIES AND DEVICE APPLICATIONS OF HOMOEPITAXIAL AND POLYCRYSTALLINE DIAMOND FILMS

For years diamond has been known as a promising material for several types of semiconductor devices. There is presently a renewed interest in electronic applications of semiconductor diamond stemming from the development of the activated CVD processes for the growth of thin diamond films. In this paper, we discuss doping and electrical properties of these films, formation of low-resistance ("ohmic") contacts, surface modification methods, and experimental device applications. Of particular interest are high temperature (300-degrees-C) MOSFET's and metal contacts to CVD diamond films which were used to fabricate high-temperature (580-degrees-C) Schottky diodes, rudimentary MESFET's and blue LED's. Despite the rapid progress during the last few years, most of the engineering efforts remain at the feasbility study level. We review the present status of the emerging technology with an emphasis on the areas of current research activity.