Rate, crystallinity and phase purity of vapor-grown diamond deposits are discussed. Emphasis is on microwave plasma CVD of diamond from C/H-, C/H/O-, C/H/F-, C/H/CI- and C/H/N-gas mixtures.
The manufacture of wear-resistant diamond thin films, diamond vacuum window membranes and thick diamond heat spreader plates are used as examples to outline the influence of various deposition parameters on the performance of finished products and to describe the use of ternary gas phase compositional diagrams as tools for minimization of deposition technology and product optimization efforts.