Edge effect during microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition diamond-film:Multiphysics simulation and experimental verification

This study focused on the investigation of the edge effect of diamond films deposited by microwave plasma chemical vapor de-position.Substrate bulge height△h is a factor that affects the edge effect,and it was used to simulate plasma and guide the diamond-film deposition experiments.Finite-element software COMSOL Multiphysics was used to construct a multiphysics(electromagnetic,plasma,and fluid heat transfer fields)coupling model based on electron collision reaction.Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were performed to characterize the experimental growth and validate the model.The simulation results reflected the experimental trends observed.Plasma discharge at the edge of the substrate accelerated due to the increase in△h(△h=0-3 mm),and the values of electron density(n_(c)),molar concentration of H(C_(H)),and molar concentration of CH_(3)(C_(CH_(3)))doubled at the edge(for the special concave sample with△h=−1 mm,the active chemical groups exhibited a decreased molar concentration at the edge of the substrate).At=0-3 mm,a high diamond growth rate and a large diamond grain size were observed at the edge of the substrate,and their values increased with.The uniformity of film thickness decreased with.The Raman spectra of all samples revealed the first-order characteristic peak of dia-mond near 1332 cm^(−1).When△h=−1 mm,tensile stress occurred in all regions of the film.When△h=1-3 mm,all areas in the film ex-hibited compressive stress.

Toughness enhancement of single-crystal diamond by the homoepitaxial growth of periodic nitrogen-doped nano-multilayers

Periodic nitrogen-doped homoepitaxial nano-multilayers were grown by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition. The residual time of gases(such as CH4and N2) in the chamber was determined by optical emission spectroscopy to determine the nano-multilayer growth process, and thin, nanoscale nitrogen-doped layers were obtained. The highest toughness of 18.2 MPa·m^(1/2)under a Young’s modulus of1000 GPa is obtained when the single-layer thickness of periodic nitrogen-doped nano-multilayers is about 96 nm. The fracture toughness of periodic nitrogen-doped CVD layer is about 2.1 times that of the HPHT seed substrate. Alternating tensile and compressive stresses are derived from periodic nitrogen doping;hence, the fracture toughness is significantly improved. Single-crystal diamond with a high toughness demonstrates wide application prospects for high-pressure anvils and single-point diamond cutting tools.

Effects of the electric field at the edge of a substrate to deposit a φ100 mm uniform diamond film in a 2.45 GHz MPCVD system

In this study,uniform diamond films with a diameter of 100 mm were deposited in a 15 kW/2.45 GHz ellipsoidal microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition system.A phenomenological model previously developed by our group was used to simulate the distribution of the electric strength and electron density of plasma.Results indicate that the electric field in the cavity includes multiple modes,i.e.TM_(02) and TM_(03).When the gas pressure exceeds 10 kPa,the electron density of plasma increases and plasma volume decreases.A T-shaped substrate was developed to achieve uniform temperature,and the substrate was suspended in air fromφ70 to 100 mm,thus eliminating vertical heat dissipation.An edge electric field was added to the system after the introduction of the T-shaped substrate.Moreover,the plasma volume in this case was greater than that in the central electric field but smaller than that in the periphery electric field of the TM_(02) mode.This indicates that the electric field above and below the edge benefits the plasma volume rather than the periphery electric field of the TM_(02) mode.The quality,uniformity and surface morphology of the deposited diamond films were primarily investigated to maintain substrate temperature uniformity.When employing the improved substrate,the thickness unevenness of theφ100 mm diamond film decreased from 22%to 7%.

Carbon materials:The burgeoning promise in electronics

Current electronic technology based on silicon is approaching its physical and scientific limits. Carbon-based devices have numer- ous advantages for next generation electronics (e.g., fast speed, low power consumption and simple process), that when combined with the unique nature of the versatile allotropes of carbon elements, are creating an electronics revolution. Carbon electronics are greatly advancing with new preparations and sophisticated designs. In this perspective, representatives with various dimensions, e.g., carbon nanotubes, graphene, bulk diamond, and their extraordinary performance, are reviewed. The associated state-of-the-art devices and composite hybrid all-carbon structures are also emphasized to reveal their potential in the electronics field. Advances in commercial production have improved the cost effi-ciency, material quality, and device design, accelerating the promise of carbon materials.