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Enhancing nanocrystalline diamond surface conductivity by deposition temperature and chemical post‐processing
Author(s) -
Kozak H.,
Kromka A.,
Ledinsky M.,
Rezek B.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
physica status solidi (a)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.532
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1862-6319
pISSN - 1862-6300
DOI - 10.1002/pssa.200824355
Subject(s) - diamond , nanocrystalline material , conductivity , materials science , raman spectroscopy , chemical vapor deposition , surface conductivity , analytical chemistry (journal) , deposition (geology) , phase (matter) , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , chemistry , composite material , optics , paleontology , physics , chromatography , organic chemistry , engineering , sediment , biology
Abstract The surface conductivity of nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films as a function of deposition temperature and chemical post‐processing was characterized by current–voltage measurements using co‐planar Au electrodes. Raman spectroscopy was applied to investigate the bulk quality of NCD films and characterize the relative amount of sp 3 diamond phase in the volume. The surface material properties and morphology were studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM) in tapping and phase detection regimes. The results indicate that the chemical post‐processing of as‐grown NCD films by boiling in acid and re‐hydrogenation leads to a significant increase in the surface conductivity by three orders of magnitude, in the order of 10 –7 (Ω/□) –1 . As a function of the deposition temperature (with re‐hydrogenation temperature kept constant) the surface conductivity of nanocrystalline diamond films shows optimum around 600 °C. This enhancement is attributed to the lowest amount of sp 2 phase on the surface. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)