Diamonds are the overachievers of the materials world. They can sustain incredibly high temperatures and electric fields. They also conduct

DIAMOND AND RELATED MATERIALS The possibility of laser induced variation of optical and electrical properties of conductive nanocrystalline diamond (CNCD) films has been demonstrated. The films were produced by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) from CH4:H2:N2 gas mixtures. The films were irradiated in air with 20 ns pulses of an ArF excimer laser (λ =193 nm). It was found that low laser pulse intensity (~ 0.05 J/cm2), well below film surface graphitization (~

DIAMOND AND RELATED MATERIALS Cubic boron nitride (c-BN) was deposited on silicon substrates using electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (ECR MPCVD) employing Ar–He–N2–H2–BF3 gas precursors at 780 °C. In situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements indicated that c-BN nucleated and grew on a hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) layer that initial

MRS BULLETIN Diamond is a unique material that often exhibits extreme properties compared to other materials. Discovered about 30 years ago, the use of hydrogen in plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has enabled the growth and coating of diamond in film form on various substrate materials. CVD diamond research has been actively continued subsequently to develop new understanding and approaches for the growth and processing of this fascinating material. Currently,