Study of morphological behavior of single diamond crystals

Isolated diamond crystals are grown by hot filament chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on Si-substrates without nucleation enhancement. We investigate the development of isolated diamond crystals under changing growth conditions. The growth parameter alpha = root 3v(100)/v(111) is determined from isolated diamond crystals and the same crystal is regrown several times and detected repeatedly by a scanning electron microscope. The change in morphology can be followed as the growth conditions are changing. Multiply twinned particles are also investigated and observed to change their morphology with the growth parameter alpha. The dependence of the idiomorphic shape on the growth parameter alpha is measured experimentally and compared with model calculations. It is shown that the basic determination of the morphology of a multiply twinned particle occurs at the early part of the nucleation phase. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.