Growth on diamond on alpha(0001) sapphire substrates

Diamond films are synthesised on a-(0 0 0 1) sapphire substrates by hot-filament chemical vapour deposition in a gas mixture of methane and hydrogen. The growth of diamond and the possibility of an intermediate layer between diamond and sapphire are investigated using Auger electron spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy.