Formation of high-quality octahedral and flattened diamond crystals on a-SiC/Si using inert-gas curtain combustion method

High-quality octahedral and flattened diamond crystals have been successfully synthesized using the inert-gas curtain combustion method on amorphous SiC (a-SiC) film preformed on Si substrates. The number density and the diameter of the diamond crystals were controlled by the a-SiC film thickness, while their morphology varied with the growth temperature. Flattened diamonds appeared at lower deposition temperatures. SEM and Raman observations indicate excellent crystallinity of these diamonds.