Unusual Dependence of the Diamond Growth Rate on the Methane Concentration in the Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition Process.

Although the growth rate of diamond increased with increasing methane concentration at the filament temperature of 2100 °C during a hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD), it decreased with increasing methane concentration from 1% CH4 –99% H2 to 3% CH4 –97% H2 at 1900 °C. We investigated this unusual dependence of the growth rate on the methane concentration, which might give insight into the growth mechanism of a diamond. One possibility would be that the high methane concentration increases the non-diamond phase, which is then etched faster by atomic hydrogen, resulting in a decrease in the growth rate with increasing methane concentration. At 3% CH4 –97% H2, the graphite was coated on the hot filament both at 1900 °C and 2100 °C. The graphite coating on the filament decreased the number of electrons emitted from the hot filament. The electron emission at 3% CH4 –97% H2 was 13 times less than that at 1% CH4 –99% H2 at the filament temperature of 1900 °C. The lower number of electrons at 3% CH4 –97% H2 was attributed to the formation of the non-diamond phase, which etched faster than diamond, resulting in a lower growth rate.