Chemical vapour deposition of diamond on stainless steel: the effect of Ni-diamond composite coated buffer layer

Diamond films were grown on nickel and nickel-diamond composite coated stainless steel substrates using microwave plasma chemical vapour deposition (MPCVD). X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy studies give clear evidence for the growth of diamond on buffer layered substrates. XRD results further suggest that after CVD treatment the interface nickel (a = 3.522 Angstrom) shows an increase in the lattice constant (a = 3.563 Angstrom). The unit cell expansion can be attributed to the formation of the Ni-C solid solution phase. The new unit cell parameter of Ni match closely with diamond (a = 3.566 Angstrom). In addition, the embedded diamond particles assist in faster nucleation and growth of the diamond crystallites on composite coated substrates. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.