| Abstract: | This paper reviews results about diamond synthesis by high-temperature pyrolysis of methane in a H2/Ar-plasma. By means of a modified direct-current (DC) plasma torch with an arc power of 4–8 kW diamond growth rates in the order of about 70 μm/h were obtained. Diamond films grown on unscrached single-crystalline silicon have a diameter of about 8 mm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and Raman scattering spectroscopy have been used to analyse diamond films characterized by a transition of a crystalline diamond centre to an amorphous random region by passing a fine-crystalline region. In the film centre (100) planes with an average size of about 25 μm were made out by SEM. |
