SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FINE-GRAIN DIAMOND FILMS

A fine grain diamond film has been developed by microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition. Various analytical techniques, including Rutherford backscattering, proton recoil analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction, were utilized to characterize the diamond films. The grain size of the film was determined from bright and dark field electron micrographs, and found to be 200-1000 angstrom. The films exhibited good optical transmission between 2.5 and 10-mu-m, with a calculated absorption coefficient of 490 cm-1. The friction coefficients of this film were found to be 0.035 and 0.030 at dry nitrogen and humid air environments, respectively, and the films had low wear rates.