Abstract
Real time spectroellipsometry (RTSE) has been performed during the nucleation and growth of nanocrystalline thins films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition onto Si substrates. RTSE shows that a significant volume fraction of nondiamond (or -bonded) carbon forms during thin film coalescence and is trapped near the substrate interface between diamond nuclei. Although this behavior is observed over a range of C// gas compositions, the interfacial -bonded carbon volume can be minimized by operating just within the growth-etch boundary of the diamond growth phase diagram.
- Received 27 February 1995
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.75.1122
©1995 American Physical Society