Dopant incorporation mechanisms during the growth of thin film diamond

The reactions of boron trichloride and a trimethylamine borane complex have been studied on polycrystalline diamond surfaces. BCl3 is seen to reversibly adsorb with no thermal route for the formation of atomic baron on the diamond surface being apparent; it does, however, have an appreciable surface lifetime (100 ms at 1000 K) allowing bombardment from electrons, ions or atomic hydrogen to cause decomposition. Conversely, the novel precursor compound (CH3)(3)NBH3 is seen to thermally dissociate giving rise to fully volatile reaction by-products and hence offers the potential for low contamination in-situ diamond doping.