9522566 Badzian This research project aims for fundamental understanding of diamond films formed by chemical vapor depostion(CVD), and approaches this goal through the hypothesis that defects in CVD diamond may be due to stacking faults within sp3-bonded carbon rather than arising from sp2 hybridization. Studies will be conducted to determine the atomic structure of tetrahedral forms of carbon, different than cubic and hexagonal, using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition. Additives to the methane-hydrogen plasma, such as B, N, O, Si, Ni, Ti, will be used to influence reaction pathways on the growing diamond surface, and to modify the crystalline structure during growth. Atomic resolution structure of diamond surfaces will be studied by scanning tunneling microscopy, reflection high and low energy electron diffraction; other materials characterization techniques include Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffuse scattering, photoluminescence, XPS and Auger spectroscopy. Cold neutron depth profiling will be done in collaboration with NIST. %%% This project will be important to the utilization of the unique electronic, thermal, and mechanical properties of diamond films through improved basic understanding of their crystalline structure, and the relationships gained between structure, properties, and processing. An important feature of the program is the training of students in a fundamentally and technologically significant area. ***
