Dimer-row pattern formation in diamond (100) growth

CH2 group migration between the H-terminated 2×1 reconstructed {100} and {111} surfaces of diamond

Various possible routes for the migration of a CH2 group between the H-terminated 2×1 reconstructed {100} surface and the H-terminated {111} surface of diamond have been explored using a hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical method. The calculated energies suggest that movement of such surface bound species across step edges should be a facile process under typical diamond growth conditions, and that such migrations are significant contributors to the observed morphologies of diamond grown by chemical vapor deposition methods.

Simplified Monte Carlo simulations of chemical vapour deposition diamond growth

A simple one-dimensional Monte Carlo model has been developed to simulate the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) of a diamond (100) surface. The model considers adsorption, etching/desorption, lattice incorporation, and surface migration along and across the dimer rows. The top of a step-edge is considered to have an infinite Ehrlich-Schwoebel potential barrier, so that mobile surface species cannot migrate off the edge. The reaction probabilities are taken from experimental or calculated literature values for standard CVD diamond conditions. The criterion used for the critical nucleus needed to form a new layer is considered to be two surface carbon species bonded together, which forms an immobile, unetchable step on the surface. This nucleus can arise from two migrating species meeting, or from direct adsorption of a carbon species next to a migrating species. The analysis includes film growth rate, surface roughness, and the evolving film morphology as a function of varying reaction probabilities. Using standard CVD diamond parameters, the simulations reveal that a smooth film is produced with apparent step-edge growth, with growth rates (∼1 µm h(-1)) consistent with experiment. The β-scission reaction was incorporated into the model, but was found to have very little effect upon growth rates or film morphology. Renucleation events believed to be due to reactive adsorbates, such as C atoms or CN groups, were modelled by creating random surface defects which form another type of critical nucleus upon which to nucleate a new layer. These were found to increase the growth rate by a factor of ∼10 when the conditions were such that the rate-limiting step for growth was new layer formation. For other conditions these surface defects led to layered 'wedding cake' structures or to rough irregular surfaces resembling those seen experimentally during CVD of nanocrystalline diamond.