DIAMOND FILM GROWTH ON CEMENTED TUNGSTEN CARBIDES STUDIED BY SEM, AES AND XPS

Diamond films were deposited on cemented WC substrates using a hot filament chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system with a mixture of CH4 and H-2 as the source gases. The effect of the surface pretreatments of scratching the surface and etching to remove the surface Co from the substrate on diamond nucleation and growth was studied. The effect of CH4 Concentration on diamond growth was also examined. Scanning electron microscopy, Auger electron, X-ray photoelectron and energy dispersive spectroscopies were used to examine the film morphology, quality and compositions. The results show that a good diamond-crystal quality can be obtained by reducing the surface Co content in the substrate to below 1%. Co in the surface layer of the substrate inhibits both diamond nucleation and growth. Polishing and etching treatments to scratch the surface and to remove the surface Co of the substrates are essential to maintain the surface roughness in an appropriate range to obtain diamond films with a good quality and adhesion. A change in CH4 Concentration in the source gases from 0.5 to 0.15% can change the preferred orientation of the diamond films fro m the {100} to the {111} plane.