Methyl radical and H-atom concentrations during diamond growth

The gas-phase composition at the surface of a growing diamond film was measured as a function of the initial methane (CH4) fraction and, for a 2% methane fraction, as a function of added oxygen (O2). The results were modeled with a one-dimensional reactor flow code that includes diffusion and detailed chemical kinetics. We found that most of the ethylene (C2H4) and ethane (C2H6) that was detected was actually not present in the growth chamber but was instead formed in the probe by recombination of methyl radicals (CH3) that were present in the gas phase. Thus, C2H4 and C2H6 acted as surrogates for CH3 in our system, and measurement of those two stable species allowed us to estimate the mole fraction of the CH3 radical. We then took advantage of the fact that CH3, CH4, H2, and H were in partial equilibrium in the diamond growth chamber in order to estimate the concentration of H. A comparison between the mole fractions of CH3 and H, as determined from our experiments, and the mole fractions calculated from the model shows very good agreement.