Influence of substrate topography on the nucleation of diamond thin films

We have investigated the effect of substrate topography on nucleation behavior by producing a variety of substrate features on molybdenum and silicon substrates. The initial stages of nucleation on these substrates were studied by exposing them to similar conditions in a hot filament chemical vapor deposition reactor. For these materials, nucleation is favored on prominent features of the substrate; that is, features that protrude with sharp edges or apexes, as opposed to sharp valleys or flat regions. Several possible explanations are given for this behavior.