Hetero-Epitaxial Diamond Single Crystal Growth on Surface of cBN Single Crystals at High Pressure and High Temperature

We report a new diamond synthesis process in which cubic boron nitride single crystals are used as seeds, Fe80Ni20 alloy powder is used as catalyst/solvent and natural flake-like graphite is used as the carbon source. The samples are investigated using laser Raman spectra and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Morphology of the sample is observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Based on the measurement results, we conclude that diamond single crystals have grown on the cBN crystal seeds under the conditions of high temperature 1230°C and high pressure 4.8 GPa. This work provides an original method for synthesis of high quality hetero-semiconductor with cBN and diamond single crystals, and paves the way for future development. (cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)