The nickel catalyzed reconstruction of diamond (110) surfaces in hydrogen and the TGA investigation of iron and nickel catalyzed etching of diamond particles in hydrogen

[摘要] The nickel catalyzed reaction of the diamond (110) surface in hydrogen has been studied at temperatures below 950$spcirc$C. A $sim$300 A nickel film was vaporized onto a polished diamond chip with a (110) surface orientation. The samples were scratched and annealed at various temperatures, times and hydrogen pressures. The diamond surfaces were subsequently analyzed using an atomic force microprobe (AFM), Raman spectroscopy and electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Surface reconstruction was observed at temperatures $>$700$spcirc$C during one hour annealings in H$sb2.$ Carbon etching was observed under these conditions for times $geq$two hours or longer. The metal-diamond interface was found to be stable in the presence of H$sb2$ at pressures as low as 0.1 Torr. The activation energy of surface reconstruction was calculated to be approximately 70 kcalmole$sp{{-}1}.$ Our findings suggest the possibility of growing diamond CVD films using diatomic hydrogen and thin metal films.

[发布机构] Rice University

[效力级别] Materials science