Shigeaki Miyauchi

ETCHING OF POLYCRYSTALLINE DIAMOND FILMS BY ELECTRON BEAM ASSISTED PLASMA

Polycrystalline diamond films were processed in a direct current plasma produced by a self-focused electron beam using combinations of H2, O2, and He as the processing gas. The film surfaces were observed by scanning electron microscopy, and characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that for the case in which O2 was included in the processing gas, a high density of etch pits appeared on (100) faces of diamond grains, and oxygen was either physisorbed or chemisorbed at the film surface. It was demonstrated that the etching apparatus used was capable of forming at least a 5-mm wide pattern of polycrystalline diamond film.

Al Metal Point Contact to B-Doped Diamond Films

The mechanical, thermal, optical, and electrical properties of diamond have been shown to be superior to those of other materials[1,2,3,4]. These properties can be utilized in a wide range of optoelectronic device applications as well as for extreme environmental conditions[5,6]. Chemical vapor deposition(CVD) of diamond offers an attractive solution for obtaining semiconducting diamond thin films. In order to exploit the electronic properties of these polycrystalline films, it is critical to evaluate the properties of electrical contacts to the diamond surface. In particular, reliable ohmic and rectifying contact technologies have been difficult to develop and reproduce. Recently, the formation of Schottky contacts to polycrystalline diamond films have been reported[7,8], but the relationship between the rectifying characteristics and the quantity of B impurities incorporated into the films was not examined.