Method of fabricating a free-standing diamond single crystal using growth from the vapor phase

By combining a low temperature (600 degrees C) chemical vapor deposition process for homoepitaxial diamond and conventional ion implantation, we have made and lifted off a synthetic diamond single crystal plate. Before growth, a type Ia C(100) crystal was exposed to a self implant of 190 keV energy and dose of 1 X 10(16) cm(-2). Homoepitaxial diamond growth conditions were used that are based on water-alcohol source chemistries. To achieve layer separation (''lift-off''), samples were annealed to a temperature sufficient to graphitize the buried implant-damaged region. Contactless electrochemical etching was found to remove the graphite, and a transparent synthetic (100) single crystal diamond plate of 17.5 mu m thickness was lifted off. This free-standing diamond single crystal plate was characterized and found to be comparable to homoepitaxial films grown on unimplanted single crystal diamond. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.