Synthesis of electrical conductive diamond on BeCu alloy for electrical contact of test process in semiconductor fabrication

An electrically conductive diamond film, which can be synthesized by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, has specific properties, such as a high degree of hardness, chemical inertness, and electrical conductivity. These properties are suitable for its application as an electrical contact material for testing processes in semiconductor manufacturing. In this study, we attempted to synthesize the CVD diamond film on a BeCu alloy plate to in order to investigate the properties of the electrically conductive diamond as an electrical contact. Boron-doped diamond films, which are electrically conductive, were successfully synthesized on a BeCu alloy plate. Moreover, the “L contact”, which is a BeCu alloy-based commercial product for electrical contact, was also used as a substrate for the CVD diamond coating. The boron concentrations in the diamond films were estimated to be about 3.2 × 1020 cm− 3 by the peak position of the Raman spectra. In a sample treated for 2 h, the electrical resistance was sufficiently low for the contact condition. This result means that the value in the initial state can satisfy the targeted application. The analytical results of the contact resistance indicated that the contact state of the L contact included a sliding mechanism.

► Synthesis condition of CVD diamond on BeCu alloy substrate was found in this study. ► Electrical conductive CVD diamond film was uniformly synthesized on BeCu alloy substrate. ► The estimated boron-concentrations in the diamond films on L contact were ca 3.2×1020 cm–3. ► The L contact synthesized electrical conductive diamond met the requirement for the practical applications.