Formation of oriented nanostructures in diamond using metallic nanoparticles

A simple, fast and cost-effective etching technique to create oriented nanostructures such as pyramidal and cylindrical shaped nanopores in diamond membranes by self-assembled metallic nanoparticles is proposed. In this process, a diamond film is annealed with thin metallic layers in a hydrogen atmosphere. Carbon from the diamond surface is dissolved into nanoparticles generated from the metal film, then evacuated in the form of hydrocarbons and, consequently, the nanoparticles enter the crystal volume. In order to understand and optimize the etching process, the role of different parameters such as type of catalyst (Ni, Co, Pt, and Au), hydrogen gas, temperature and time of annealing, and microstructure of diamond (polycrystalline and nanocrystalline) were investigated. With this technique, nanopores with lateral sizes in the range of 10-100 nm, and as deep as about 600 nm, in diamond membranes were produced without any need for a lithography process, which opens the opportunities for fabricating porous diamond membranes for chemical sensing applications.