Synthesis and Characterization of Magnetic Nanocrystalline Diamond Films

Abstract

Magnetic semiconductors are promising materials for electronic applications, because it is possible to control the quantum state of the electron spin (up or down), providing almost total spin polarization. We present boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond samples with magnetic properties prepared by chemical vapor deposition process and characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and magnetization assays. We believe that ferromagnetic elements were incorporated into the diamond film by diffusion from stainless steel substrates, during film growth.

Keywords:

• Magnetic diamonds
• Boron-doped Nanodiamonds
• CVD diamonds
• XPS
• EDS
• Raman spectroscopy

Acknowledgments

The electron microscopy work was performed with the JSM-5900 LV microscope of the LME/LNLS and the XPS with a VSW 100 spectrometer at IFGW – Unicamp. For Robson Ricardo da Silva of LMD/IFWG- Unicamp for SQUID- magnetometer measurements. The wish to thanks the Brazilian agencies FAPESP, CAPES and CNPq for financial support.