Patent ID: 11946134
Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
Field: Surface technology, coating (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  B | IPC B  C

Claim 0:
1. A method of forming a nanocrystalline diamond film, the method comprising:
exposing a silicon substrate to a first plasma from a plasma source with a first plasma power in a range of from 50 W to 12 kW, the first plasma source comprising one or more of CxHy wherein y≥x, carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen (H2), nitrogen (N2), and argon (Ar) to provide a treated substrate;
incubating the treated substrate with a gas stream and a second plasma to nucleate diamond particles on a top surface of the substrate, the gas stream comprising a hydrocarbon and the second plasma having a power less than or equal to 15 kW; and
exposing the diamond particles to a third plasma having a power greater than 50 W to form a nanocrystalline diamond film on the top surface of the substrate, the third plasma comprising a microwave plasma with a duty cycle greater than or equal to 60%.