Laser ablation doping process for the synthesis of conductive diamond thin film

Basic to the understanding of the electrical properties of diamond films is the achievement of the synthesis of doped films through specific doping processes. We report a novel laser ablation process for doping diamond thin films. Boron doped diamond thin films were synthesized by the activated beam deposition process with H-2/C2H4 gaseous mixtures, and the simultaneous irradiation of a solid boron target with a CO2 laser beam. The presence of boron in the film was confirmed by SIMS analysis. The electrical characteristics of the boron doped films were ascertained by resistivity, carrier concentration and Hall mobility measurements. Raman spectroscopy and SEM micrographs confirmed the quality and crystallinity of the films. Conductivity dependence on temperature was measured between a temperature range of 303 K and 873 K, and the possibility of the application of the process to synthesize alternative layers of insulating and conducting films was demonstrated. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.