CVD Diamond films produced from hydrocarbons by use of the flat flame method

Due to the unique combination of physical and chemical properties of diamond, diamond coatings obtained by the method of deposition from the vapor phase and heteroepitaxially are of exceptional technological importance (balls of artificial hips, cutting tools, electronic circuits, etc.). There is also a great market potential for the so-called”free standing diamond films”, for which there is no necessity for substrate. Of all techniques using thermal excitation of the gas phase, the flame method is a unique in that it requires no external energy input. The method allows the extension of the flat- flame zone to practically unlimited surface, thereby overcoming the problems of standard flame burners: a small flame zone and a thermal flux to the surface. The basic problem of flat-flame technique is the use of expensive gas, acetylene. The proposed project of the synthesis of diamond layers from the hydrocarbons flame based on the flat-flame method has the objective to examine the possibility of diamond deposition by using much cheaper fuel gases (methane, propane, propylene). The introduction of independent control of substrate temperature will enable the definition of all process parameters for a given power of flame. The focus of research will be to assess the degree of conversion of hydrocarbons in the diamond and the phase purity of the synthesized diamond.