Dislocations imaging in low boron doped diamond epilayers using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM)

International audienceA contrast clearly correlated with the linear defect network into boron-doped diamond epilayers was evidenced by FE-SEM observations performed at 20 kV. According to this study, this effect is dependent on the incident electron energy, the boron concentration, the thickness of the epilayer and the surface termination. These contrasts are confirmed to correspond to dislocations by revealing the etch pits using a H2/O2 plasma and by cathodoluminescence analyses. Boron impurities seem to play a major role in the contrast formation