Near coalescent submicron polycrystalline diamond films deposited on silicon: hydrogen bonding and thermal enhanced carbide formation

The hydrogen bonding, phase composition, the surface microstructure, and composition of diamond films consisting of 30-50 nm crystallites, deposited onto silicon substrates were explored to examine the impact of high temperature annealing up to 1200 degree [Celsius on the film. The results suggested that formation of SiC phase preferentially consumes [sp.sup.2]/sp hybridized carbon matrix, produced by thermal desorption of hydrogen atoms at diamond grain boundary and at the diamond film-silicon substrate interface.