MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF DIAMOND CRYSTALS ELABORATED BY MICROWAVE PLASMA-ASSISTED CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION - APPLICATION TO TEXTURED FILMS

Morphometric analysis was carried out on both isolated single-crystal and multiply twinned diamond particles (MTPs) elaborated by microwave plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition, in order to determine, in our reactor, the growth parameter alpha as a function of deposition parameters such as substrate temperature and methane concentration. The evolution of alpha allows the MTPs to be described, in particular the formation of grooves at the emergence of the twin plane. Free-standing diamond films, elaborated using the same conditions as for isolated particles, were characterized by X-ray texture measurements to deduce the growth parameter alpha associated with these films. We reveal that the orientation of the silicon substrate can strongly delay texture formation because of an unfavourable substrate effect. Finally, the growth parameter alpha associated with diamond films is higher than the alpha value associated with isolated particles obtained under the same experimental conditions.