Synthesis of diamond spheres

Abstract

Communication: Diamond spheres with diameters in the range 150 to 600 nm have been synthesized by multi-cathode direct current CVD. The diameters of the spheres vary with the radial distance from the centre of the 100 mm diameter copper substrate. The powders are characterized by TEM, Raman spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and XRD. TEM patterns show the internal structure to consist of nanocrystalline diamond grains exhibiting, a Raman peak at 1334 cm(-1), a form of diamond that has potential for a number of important applications including novel abrasives and drug delivery A mechanism of homogeneous nucleation and growth is proposed.