Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
A novel substrate preparation procedure which can be employed to remove the original surface from as-received C(001) natural diamond substrates has been developed. A description of the various substrate processing steps which includes, low-energy ion implantation of C and O, high-temperature annealing, electrochemical etching and surface plasmas treatments is presented. Also demonstrated is the growth of topographically excellent homoepitaxial films by rf-plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition using water/ethanol mixtures on C(001) substrates.