Diamond and Diamond-like-Carbon Growth on Si (100) by Hot Filament-Assisted RF Plasma CVD

Diamond and diamond-like carbon (DLC) crystallites can be grown on a Si (100) substrate by hot filament-assisted RF plasma CVD in a low-vacuum (2-Torr) environment from C₂H₂ without using hydrogen. The deposition was carried out at 900°C onto the precleaned diamond polished Si (100) substrate. XRD and Raman spectra revealed the presence of diamond, graphite, lonsdaleite, and high-order polymeric hydrocarbon phases. The morphology observed by SEM shows typical habit and facets of the diamond crystallites grown on silicon. An attempt was made to explain some discrepancies observed in the XRD and Raman spectra of our multiphasic DLC films.