Abstract: Diamond is a promising material for a wide range of quantum applications due its exceptional properties and color centers like the nitrogen vacancy (NV) center. In its negative charge state, the NV can act as a sensor to detect minute magnetic fields including oscillation magnetic fields encountered e.g., in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.¹ In addition, the NV center and other color centers like SiV, GeV, SnV are promising candidates for qubits in quantum computing. For this, they should be accurately positioned in diamond films, e.g., on mesa structures,² or even within complex sandwich structures, e.g., containing isotopically enriched films.³
We utilize a unique reactor design that allows for highly controllable process conditions by enabling the transfer of samples into the equilibrated plasma. Thus, etching of the sample during plasma start up is avoided, contaminations originating from sample exchange can be prevented, and sharp layer transitions between doped and isotopically controlled diamond films can be obtained. Besides the sample transfer, the growth temperature can be maintained also during standby time through a substrate heater, and a clean reactor environment is realized by a load-lock sample exchange system that allows for pre-treatments in vacuum before loading.
Using this system, we demonstrate overgrowth of nanoscopic pillar structures yielding highly controlled tip geometries, and overgrowth of diamond waveguides structures obtained from Faraday cage angled etching.⁴ In addition, the growth of nanoscopic sandwich structures with isotopically enriched layers as well as delta doped N(V) layers will be shown on (100) and (111)-oriented diamond. Further prospects for precise positioning of color centers by growth will be discussed.⁵
1. F. Bruckmaier, et al. Sci. Adv. 9 (2023).
2. A. Götze, et al. Phys. Status Solidi RRL 16 (2021), 2100373.
3. P. Schätzle, et al., Phys. Status Solidi A 220 (2023), 2200351.
4. C. Giese, et al. MRS Adv. 5 (2020), 1899.
5. N. Lang, et al. Phys. Scr. 99 (2024), 105408.
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