The Influence of Argon on the Deposition and Structure of Polycrystalline Diamond Films

Thin polycrystalline diamond films were deposited on prepared (100) Si substrate by hot filament chemical vapor deposition using a mixture of hydrogen, propane-butane and argon. During investigations the gas flow of argon was varied from 100 sccm to 400 sccm. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that the addition of argon to the gas phase influenced the growth rate and film structure. An increase of argon concentration provokes an increase in film porosity and decrease in crystalline facetting. The quality of these films was investigated with the use of the Raman spectroscopy.