Nitrogen doping in chemical vapor deposition-derived ultrananocrystalline diamond(UNCD)films in-creases the electronic conductivity,yet its microstructural effects on electron transport are insufficiently understood.W...Nitrogen doping in chemical vapor deposition-derived ultrananocrystalline diamond(UNCD)films in-creases the electronic conductivity,yet its microstructural effects on electron transport are insufficiently understood.We investigated the formation of nitrogen-induced diaph-ite structures(hybrid diamond-graphite phases)and their role in changing the conductivity.Nitrogen doping in a hy-drogen-rich plasma environment promotes the emergence of unique sp^(3)-sp^(2)bonding interfaces,where diamond grains are covalently integrated with graphitic domains,facilitating a structure-driven electronic transition.High-resolution transmis-sion electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction reveal five-fold,six-fold and twelve-fold symmetries,along with an atypical{200}crystallographic reflection,confirming diaphite formation in 5%and 10%N-doped UNCD films,while high-er doping levels(15%and 20%)result in extensive graphitization.Raman spectroscopy tracks the evolution of sp^(2)bonding with increasing nitrogen content,while atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction indicate a consistent diamond grain size of~8 nm.Cryogenic electronic transport measurements reveal a conductivity increase from 8.72 to 708 S/cm as the nitrogen dop-ing level increases from 5%to 20%,which is attributed to defect-mediated carrier transport and 3D weak localization.The res-ulting conductivity is three orders of magnitude higher than previously reported.These findings establish a direct correlation between diaphite structural polymorphism and tunable electronic properties in nitrogen-doped UNCD films,offering new ways for defect-engineering diamond-based electronic materials.展开更多
文摘Nitrogen doping in chemical vapor deposition-derived ultrananocrystalline diamond(UNCD)films in-creases the electronic conductivity,yet its microstructural effects on electron transport are insufficiently understood.We investigated the formation of nitrogen-induced diaph-ite structures(hybrid diamond-graphite phases)and their role in changing the conductivity.Nitrogen doping in a hy-drogen-rich plasma environment promotes the emergence of unique sp^(3)-sp^(2)bonding interfaces,where diamond grains are covalently integrated with graphitic domains,facilitating a structure-driven electronic transition.High-resolution transmis-sion electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction reveal five-fold,six-fold and twelve-fold symmetries,along with an atypical{200}crystallographic reflection,confirming diaphite formation in 5%and 10%N-doped UNCD films,while high-er doping levels(15%and 20%)result in extensive graphitization.Raman spectroscopy tracks the evolution of sp^(2)bonding with increasing nitrogen content,while atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction indicate a consistent diamond grain size of~8 nm.Cryogenic electronic transport measurements reveal a conductivity increase from 8.72 to 708 S/cm as the nitrogen dop-ing level increases from 5%to 20%,which is attributed to defect-mediated carrier transport and 3D weak localization.The res-ulting conductivity is three orders of magnitude higher than previously reported.These findings establish a direct correlation between diaphite structural polymorphism and tunable electronic properties in nitrogen-doped UNCD films,offering new ways for defect-engineering diamond-based electronic materials.