Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
Polycrystalline diamond coatings have been deposited on metal substrates using a 50 kW atmospheric pressure inductively coupled plasma torch. The argon-hydrogen-methane plasma generated has a free stream active area of 35 cm2 and a temperature of approximately 4500 K. Growth rates are of the order of 10 μm/hour. The growth morphology is found to vary significantly with reactor processing conditions as well as gasdynamic effects near the substrate surface. In this work, we explore the effects of varying the parameters controlling both the surface kinetics (surface temperature and near surface flowfield) and gas phase chemistry (initial gas feed composition and plasma temperature). Stagnation point and flat plate boundary layer flows are investigated. Scanning electron microscopy indicates that well facetted crystals are obtained with growth along the 100 and 111 planes. Nearly continuous films are also formed and found to be of lower quality. Raman scattering data is used to/compare the bonding structure to that obtained by other various deposition techniques.