| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 700740 | Diamond and Related Materials | 2013 | 4 Pages |
•Structural properties of nanocrystalline diamond films were investigated.•The nanodiamond films consist of globules having dendrite internal structure.•Needle-like diamonds of micrometer length are forming the cores of the globules.•Thermal oxidation allowed selective removal of the smallest diamond fractions.•The model of the nanodiamond globular structures growth is proposed.
Nanocrystalline diamond coatings, consisting of tightly packed globular structures, were obtained using a direct current plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition method. Composition of the globules from diamond crystallites of different size and from graphitic material was revealed using a combination of thermogravimetry analysis, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The smallest diamond and graphitic fractions were selectively removed from the nanodiamond films by thermal oxidation in air at a temperature of 620 °C. The rest of the film material consisted of diamond needle-like crystallites, forming the “skeletons” of the globules. Mechanisms including the formation of the dendrite structure of the nanodiamond films with the “skeletons” formed by the needle crystallites are discussed.
Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide
