Date of Graduation

1999

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Department

Chemical and Biomedical Engineering

Committee Chair

Charter D. Stinespring

Committee Member

John W. Zondlo

Committee Member

Rakesh K. Gupta

Abstract

Atomic force and scanning tunneling microscopes have been used to characterize the microstructure and electron emission properties of diamond films grown on Si(100). In particular, we have focussed on the evolution of these film characteristics as diamond and SiC nucleate on Si(100) at 800°C by reaction with C2H4 gas under 5x10-5torr pressure. Under these conditions, there is possibly a brief period of 2-D layer-by-layer growth, but there is a tendency for the film to rapidly convert to a 3-D growth mode marked by the persistence of small primary nuclei ~400-600Å wide and ~5-6 lattice steps high. The in-air electron emission characteristics of these films gave work function values in the 0.2–0.42eV range, typical of those reported in literature. The results suggest a novel single crystal diamond growth technique by optimizing the conversion layer formed during the initial stages of growth.

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