Diamond nucleation and growth by hot-filament CVD with in situ DC glow discharge at a lower deposition pressure

Nucleation and growth of diamond films deposited by hot-filament chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with an in situ direct current glow discharge at a low pressure of 4 mbar have been investigated, The nucleation density of diamond films on mirror-polished silicon substrate can be enhanced at lower deposition pressure and is higher than that on mechanically polished substrates under the same conditions. In situ DC glow discharge improved the nucleation density of films, but did not contribute to the quality of films. The nucleation density increased with increasing discharge voltage, then sharply decreased when the voltage is over 400 V. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.