Novel structuring technique for diamond coatings

Here we report a novel structuring technique for diamond coatings using a copper masking on a previously deposited diamond layer to epitaxially grow a subsequent diamond layer only at the exposed areas of the mask. An 8 μm thick copper mask is applied onto the substrate using physical vapor deposition and structured by standard photolithographic methods. Hot filament chemical vapor deposition is used to grow the 14 μm thick structured diamond layer on the diamond coated silicon wafer. Micro and nano crystallinity of the diamond layers are varied, as well as the doping with boron to verify the applicability of the new structuring method for different kinds of diamond qualities. It is shown that four-inch wafers can be fully structured with this high temperature masking technique and the resolution was mostly affected by the quality of the printed mask used for the photolithographic structuring of the copper mask. This diamond structuring method could pave the way for diamond being used in electronics or adding additional functionalities to diamond coated tools.