Thin film diamond. Electronic devices for high temperature, high power and high radiation applications

In the ideal form diamond displays extreme physical, optical and electronic properties, making this material interesting for many device applications. However, natural or high pressure, high temperature synthesised forms of diamond are not useful since they are only available as small irregular crystallites and are expensive. The emergence of commercially accessible techniques for the formation of thin films of diamond over relatively large areas has changed this situation, enabling the prospects for the use of diamond as an electronic material to be truly evaluated. Thin film diamond is a defective polycrystalline material. It is difficult to dope n- and p-type and resists conventional chemical etching. Thus, despite the superlative properties of ideal diamond, the realisation of useful devices from this material is far from simple. This thesis considers how the problems may be overcome such that high performance diamond devices can be realised for use in high temperature, high power and high radiation environments. Following a review of the current state-of-the-art in diamond device technology the experimental techniques used throughout this study are summarised. Field effect transistors (FETs) have been designed for operation at high (>300 deg. C) temperatures. Boron-doped (p-type) diamond was used to form the active channel, with insulating diamond acting as the gate to the FET structure. Polycrystalline diamond devices with the highest yet reported transconductance values, which display full turn-off characteristics have been produced. To enable room temperature operation, where boron is an ineffective dopant, a novel doping approach has been established using hydrogen; devices with transconductance, power handling and full pinch-off characteristic have been realised for the first time with this approach. More complex devices require patterning of the diamond substrate material; reactive ion etching using oxygen and chlorinated fluorocarbons have been studied in this context. Finally the use of diamond for the fabrication of ionising radiation detectors has been explored, resulting in the realisation of high collection efficiency structures. (author)