HR-EELS study of hydrogen bonding configuration, chemical and thermal stability of detonation nanodiamond films

Sh. Michaelson (1) , R. Akhvlediani (1) , T. Petit (2) , Hugues Girard (2) , Jean-Charles Arnault (2) , A. Hoffman (1)

1 Technion - Israel Institute of Technology [Haifa]
2 LCD-LIST - Laboratoire Capteurs Diamant

Nano-diamond films composed of 3–10 nm grains prepared by the detonation method and deposited onto silicon substrates by drop-casting were examined by high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HR-EELS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). The impact of (i) ex-situ ambient annealing at 400 °C and (ii) ex-situ hydrogenation on hydrogen bonding and its thermal stability were examined. In order to clarify the changes in hydrogen bonding configuration detected on the different surfaces as a function of thermal annealing, in-situ hydrogenation by thermally activated atomic hydrogen was performed and examined. This study provides direct evidence that the exposure to ambient conditions and medium temperature ambient annealing have a pronounced effect on the hydrogen-carbon bonding configuration onto the nano-diamond surfaces. In-situ 1000 °C annealing results in irreversible changes of the film surface and partial nano-diamond silicidation.

Keywords: ANNEALING; BONDING; DIAMONDS; ENERGY-LOSS SPECTROSCOPY; EXPLOSIONS; FILMS; GRAPHITIZATION; HYDROGEN; HYDROGENATION; ION MICROPROBE ANALYSIS; MASS SPECTROSCOPY; OXYGEN; RESOLUTION; SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; SILICON; STABILITY; SUBSTRATES; SURFACES; TEMPERATURE RANGE 0273-0400 K; X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY; CARBON; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY; ELEMENTS; FABRICATION; HEAT TREATMENTS; JOINING; MICROANALYSIS; MICROSCOPY; MINERALS; NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS; NONMETALS; PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY; SEMIMETALS; SPECTROSCOPY; TEMPERATURE RANGE

Domains: Engineering Sciences [physics]; Micro and nanotechnologies/Microelectronics; Engineering Sciences [physics]; Materials; Chemical Sciences; Inorganic chemistry

Sh. Michaelson, R. Akhvlediani, T. Petit, Hugues Girard, Jean-Charles Arnault, et al.. HR-EELS study of hydrogen bonding configuration, chemical and thermal stability of detonation nanodiamond films. Applied Surface Science, 2014, 305 (46-9), pp.160 - 166. ⟨10.1016/j.apsusc.2014.03.031⟩. ⟨cea-01841441⟩