High rate synthesis of diamond by dc plasma jet chemical vapor deposition

Abstract

This letter describes the first successful attempt at synthesizing diamond by chemical vapor deposition with the use of a dc plasma jet. A plasma jet, formed by the dc arc discharge of CH4 diluted with H2, was sprayed onto a water-cooled substrate. The growth rate of the diamond film was 80 μm/h. The crystallinity measures well in terms of x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The quenching effect of the thermal plasma is discussed in relation to the high growth rate obtained.