Metastable diamond synthesis; principles and applications

Diamond chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technology has progressed considerably in the last 30 years; a multitude of deposition processes are now available to grow diamond films, and textured and hetero-epitaxial (on Si) deposition also has been achieved. New technological applications of diamond films, making use of their outstanding physical properties, are continuing to emerge. Simultaneously, there has been rapid progress in the understanding of which molecular species and physicochemical processes are relevant for CVD growth in the metastable diamond phase, mainly due to the development of data-bases of chemical gas phase reactions in C-H-O systems using the results of research on flames and combustion. The various growth processes and different applications of diamond films are reviewed.