Abstract
Diamond films were deposited on Mo and Si substrates in a double bias-assisted chemical vapor deposition reactor employing a bias-enhanced nucleation. The deposition process was subdivided into two steps: the pre-treatment step (i.e. bias-enhanced nucleation with two bias voltages) and the growth step (electron-enhanced diamond growth). To investigate separately the nucleation process, we varied the deposition parameters only during the pre-treatment and kept all of them at the constant during the growth step. The deposition parameters, which result in the homogeneous formation of continuous diamond films on Si, yield only low nucleation density on Mo. An increase in the nucleation density (ND) was achieved by raising the negative biasing of the Mo substrate. The continuous diamond film on Mo was achieved under high ion current density and was also slightly enhanced by increase of methane concentration (2% CH₄ in H₂).

Key words
diamond films, micro-Raman spectra, double bias-assisted hot filament CVD method, nucleation, molybdenum

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