Resistance abilities of （100）/（111）-faceted diamond films against oxygen plasma etching

Abstract

The resistance abilities of (100) and (111)-faceted diamond films against oxygen plasma, 100 μm as film thickness, were investigated by the microwave power chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) technique. The results indicate that the preferred etching points of the (100)-faceted diamond films are located at the grain boundaries and the preferred etching points of the (111)-faceted diamond films are located at the crystal surfaces. After 30 minutes etching, the (100)-faceted crystal can still be obviously shown while the (111)-faceted crystal is unobvious. After 60 minutes etching, the preferential orientations of (100)-faceted and(111)-faceted diamond films both are disappeared. The FWHM value of the (100)-faceted diamond films is increased from 8.51 cm–1 to 12.48 cm–1 and the FWHM value of the(111)-faceted diamond films is increased from 8.74 cm–1 to 148.49 cm–1 when the etching time is 60 minutes. The etching rate of the (100)-faceted diamond film is 0.35 μm/min when the etching time is 40 minutes and it is increased to 1.34 μm/min when the etching time is 60 minutes. At early stage, the (100)-faceted diamond film presented better resistance ability than the (111)-faceted diamond film against the oxygen plasma etching. But the resistance abilities to the plasma etching of the (100) and the (111)-faceted diamond films are similar when the etching time is 60 minutes.

Keywords

• diamond films
• (100)-faceted
• (111)-faceted
• oxygen plasma
• etching