Three-Dimensional Hydrogen Microscopy in Diamond

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2004-11, Vol.306 (5701), p.1537-1540
• Main Authors: Reichart, P., Datzmann, G., Hauptner, A., Hertenberger, R., Wild, C., Dollinger, G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Atoms; Coincidence; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Defects and impurities in crystals; microstructure; Diamond crystals; Diamonds; Doping; Doping and impurity implantation in other materials; Electric properties; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Grain boundaries; Hydrogen; Mechanical properties; Microscope and microscopy; Microscopy; Molecular biology; Molecular structure; Optical properties; Physics; Protons; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Surface areas
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1102910

A microprobe of protons with an energy of 17 million electron volts is used to quantitatively image three-dimensional hydrogen distributions at a lateral resolution better than 1 micrometer with high sensitivity. Hydrogen images of a -textured undoped polycrystalline diamond film show that most of the hydrogen is located at grain boundaries. The average amount of hydrogen atoms along the grain boundaries is$(8.1 \pm 1.5) \times 10^{14}$per square centimeter, corresponding to about a third of a monolayer. The hydrogen content within the grain is below the experimental sensitivity of$1.4 \times 10^{16}$atoms per cubic centimeter (0.08 atomic parts per million). The data prove a low hydrogen content within chemical vapor deposition-grown diamond and the importance of hydrogen at grain boundaries, for example, with respect to electronic properties of polycrystalline diamond.