Hydrogen incorporation, bonding and stability in nanocrystalline diamond films

• Published in: Diamond and related materials 2008-07, Vol.17 (7), p.1127-1131
• Main Authors: Ballutaud, D., Kociniewski, T., Vigneron, J., Simon, N., Girard, H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemical Sciences; Chemical vapor deposition (including plasma-enhanced cvd, mocvd, etc.); Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Diffusion; interface formation; Exact sciences and technology; Fullerenes and related materials; diamonds, graphite; Hydrogen; Material chemistry; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Nanocrystalline diamond; Physics; Raman spectroscopy; Solid surfaces and solid-solid interfaces; Specific materials; Structure and morphology; thickness; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thin film structure and morphology; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
• ISSN: 0925-9635; 1879-0062
• DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2008.01.067

The hydrogen concentration in hot filament and microwave plasma CVD nanocrystalline diamond films is analysed by secondary ion mass spectrometry and compared to the film grain size. The surface and bulk film carbon bonds are analysed respectively by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultra-violet Raman spectroscopy. XPS results show the presence of the hydrogenated p-type surface conductive layer. The respective intensities of the 1332 cm − 1 diamond peak, of the G and D bands related to sp 2 phases, and of the 3000 cm − 1 CH x stretching mode band, are compared on Raman spectra. The samples are submitted to thermal annealing under ultra-high vacuum in order to get hydrogen out-diffusion. XPS analysis shows the surface desorption of hydrogen. Thermal annealing modifies the sp 2 phase structure as hydrogen out diffuses.