Photoelectron Spectroscopy Study of Natural (100), (110), (111) and CVD Diamond Surfaces

Abstract

Natural type IIb diamond surfaces of (100), (110), and (111) orientation, as well as chemical vapor deposited (CVD) diamond thin films with (100), (110), or mixed orientation are probed by photoelectron spectroscopy in the ultraviolet (UPS) and X-ray (XPS) energy regimes. Dramatic changes can be observed in the valence band and core level spectra of these surfaces upon annealing, hydrogen-plasma exposure, or pulsed dye laser irradiation. The observed changes can be reversed by the exposure of the surfaces to atomic hydrogen (deuterium). The valence band spectra reveal specific surface reconstructions for all three surface preparation methods and moreover a cleaning effect is observed following laser irradiation of CVD diamond surfaces. A comparison to a multitude of theoretical and experimental studies on diamond surface reconstruction is made to elucidate the connection between electronic properties and atomic surface structures.