HIGH-RESOLUTION ELECTRON-MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF THE INTERFACE BETWEEN DIAMOND FILM AND ITS SUBSTRATE

A high-resolution electron microscopic. (HREM) study of the interface structure between diamond film and its silicon substrate has been carried out. The HREM images reveal that there is an amorphous layer between diamond film and its substrate for a sample grown by the hot filament chemical vapor deposition. Beta-SiC crystallites are embedded in this amorphous layer. The HREM images of cross-sectional specimens reveal that the diamond crystallites can nucleate directly on either the intermediate amorphous layer, the beta-SiC crystallites, or at some scratches of the Si substrate.