Positive identification of the ubiquitous triangular defect on the (100) faces of vapor-grown diamond

Scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to index the faces and orientation of the sloping triangular defect which often appears on the {100} surfaces of chemical-vapor-deposited diamond. These features were confirmed to be 〈111〉 penetration twins which appear as sections of cubo-octahedra oriented with a 〈221〉' direction parallel to the "parent" crystal's {100} surface normal. Multiple twins of this type can give rise to the pentagonal structures usually attributed to simpler combinations of ordinary 〈111〉 twins. The ability to suppress this twin by proper choice of growth conditions is a major factor in controlling the morphology of vapor-grown diamond.

Duke Scholars

Author Brian R. Stoner Electrical and Computer Engineering