Patent ID: 8187380
Filing Date: 2012-05-29
Classification: C30B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of growing single crystal diamond, the method comprising: polishing a CVD grown single crystal seed having a (100) orientation; placing the seed in a substrate holder in a plasma reactor; evacuating the reactor to a pressure of less than 10 millitorr; backfilling the reactor with hydrogen having a purity of at least approximately 99.999%; providing power to create a plasma ball; heating the substrate holder to approximately 900° C.; adding a mixture of methane and hydrogen; converting part of the hydrogen to atomic hydrogen; selectively adding nitrogen, wherein the nitrogen is substitutionally incorporated into a growing diamond lattice above a background nitrogen concentration level; after formation of a desired thickness of single crystal diamond, terminating the flow of methane and hydrogen; after the end of flow of the methane and hydrogen, terminating the power to extinguish the plasma ball; and cooling the substrate holder to room temperature.