[pt] É reconhecido o potencial de usar carbono como um dopante tipo p em InAlAs devido a obtenção de elevados níveis de dopagem [1,2]. Entretanto, níveis elevados de dopagem só são alcançados em baixas temperaturas de crescimento (Tg inferiores a 600°C). Nessas temperaturas, as camadas crescidas apresentam qualidade ótica inferior quando comparadas com camadas crescidas em temperaturas mais altas, o que é prejudicial para dispositivos de optoeletrônica. Neste trabalho, é apresentada uma investigação sistemática das propriedades de transporte e óticas em camadas de InAlAs dopadas com carbono para diferentes temperaturas de crescimento. É observado que quanto mais baixa for a Tg maior será a incorporação de carbono e maior a atividade elétrica. Este resultado indica que o carbono é incorporado de diversas maneiras, bem como um aceitador raso. O carbono também pode ser incorporado como um doador raso, pois é um dopante anfotérico. Entretanto, este fato, não é suficiente para explicar os resultados de transporte. A diferença entre a concentração Hall e a concentração CV indica a incorporação de doadores profundos. Provavelmente, o carbono participa na formação desses doadores profundos, uma vez que a concentração de doador profundo varia linearmente com a densidade atômica de carbono, determinada pela técnica SIMS. Por outro lado, centros não radiativos são mais facilmente incorporados em baixas Tg e a eficiência da fotoluminescência é reduzida. Essa degradação da fotoluminescência é independente da concentração de carbono, consequentemente, pode-se concluir que essa redução na eficiência da fotoluminescência não está associada à presença de doadores profundos. Com a finalidade de obter um incremento na atividade elétrica do carbono e melhoria na qualidade ótica das camadas, as amostras foram submetidas a tratamentos térmicos. Os tratamentos térmicos aumentaram a concentração de buracos mas não influenciaram na densidade de doadores profundos ou na qualidade ótica das camadas. Para a utilização de InAlAs dopado com carbono em dispositivos, deve-se obter simultaneamente uma boa qualidade ótica e elevada atividade elétrica das camadas.Então, deve-se identificar o doador profundo, que está associado ao carbono, com o objetivo de reduzí-lo ou eliminá-lo e consequentemente, obter um incremento na atividade elétrica das camadas. Desta forma as camadas podem ser crescidas a temperaturas mais altas adequadas para uma emissão de fotoluminescência eficiente. Cálculos teóricos são apresentados de modo a ajudar essa identificação. Outra possibilidade é usar diferentes fontes de arsina em que as moléculas se dissociem em temperaturas mais baixas. / [en] The potential of using carbon as a p-type dopant for InAlAs has already been recognized due to the achievable high hole concentration [1,2]. However, high doping levels are reached only for low growth teperatures (Tg below 600°C). These temperatures produce layers with poor optical quality as compared to those grown at higher temperatures, which can be detrimental for optoeletronic device. In this work we present crystal, transport and optical properties of such layers grown at different temperatures. We find that the lower Tg, the more efficient the carbon incorporation and its electrical activity are. This result indicates that carbon is incorporated in forms different from a shallow acceptor, as well. Carbon can also be incorporated as a shallow donor since it is an amphoteric dopant. However, this alone does not explain the transport results. The difference between the net free charge density determined from capacitance measurements indicates that a deep donor is also incorporated. Carbon most likely participates in the deep donor formation since the inferred deep donor concentration varies linearly with the carbon atomic density measured by SIMS. On the other hand, non- radiative deep levels are more efficiently incorporated as Tg is reduced degrading the photoluminescence characteristics. Such degration is independent of the carbon doping. Therefore, one concludes that the decrease in the photoluminescence efficiency cannot be related to the presence of the deep donor mentioned in the previous paragraph. To further probe the carbon electrical activity and its effect on the optical properties of the layers, the samples have been subjected to a heat-treatment. Annealing the samples increases the hole concentration, but neither affects the deep donor density nor improves the layers optical quality. In order to use carbon doped InAlAs in devices which simultaneously require good optical quality and high electrical activity of the layers, one should identify the deep donor involving carbon in order to try to reduce its concentration or even eliminate it, consequently improving the electrical activity of the layers. In such a way the layers can be grown at higher temperatures, adequate for an efficient photoluminescence emission. Theoretical calculations are being carried out to help with such identification. Another possibility is to use other arsine sources which crack at lower temperatures.

Orientador: Dayse Iara dos Santos / Banca: Raquel de Almeida Ribeiro / Banca: Durval Rodrigues Júnior / Resumo: Após a descoberta dos novos supercondutores óxidos no ano de 1986, houve uma intensa busca por outros materiais que apresentassem o fenômeno da supercondutividade. Dentre as novas descobertas encontra-se o diboreto de magnésio, material intermetálico cuja supercondutividade era desconhecida até 2001. Atualmente, este é considerado ter um grande potencial de aplicação real devido a sua simplicidade de confecção e ao baixo custo de resfriamento em "cryocoolers", visto que o fenômeno ocorre próximo de 39K. Ao longo de quase uma década muitas pesquisas foram realizadas com os objetivos de melhor conhecer o mecanismo de supercondutividade presente no material, assim como de aperfeiçoar a sua capacidade de suportar correntes em campos magnéticos altos e desta forma ampliar suas possibilidades de aplicação industrial. Hoje, encontra-se claro que o mecanismo que rege a supercondutividade no Mg'B IND. 2' é o mesmo descrito em 1958 por Bardeen, Cooper e Schriefer, na teoria BCS. Mas, por outro lado, as questões práticas permanecem incompletas, pois a queda da capacidade de conduzir supercorrente sob campos magnéticos altos (acima de 6T) ainda não foi superada satisfatoriamente. Com este objetivo, estuda-se a introdução de diversos compostos na matriz do diboreto de magnésio tais como elementos metálicos ou compostos de carbono. Mais recentemente, os estudos se voltaram para a utilização das técnicas de processamento cerâmico a fim de aperfeiçoar a microestrutura e melhor densificar o material. Neste trabalho o estudo da adição de um novo dopante, o hidrocarboneto 'C IND. 8''H IND. 18', é realizado comparativamente à outros dopantes extensivamente citados na literatura como o carbeto de silício e o óleo de silicone. O processo de sinterização de pastilhas ex situ é também investigado para todas... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: After the discovery of new superconducting oxides in the year 1986, there was an intense search for other materials that show the phenomenon of superconductivity. Among the new discoveries is magnesium diboride, an intermetallic material whose superconductivity was unknown until 2001. Currently, it is considered to have great potential for real application due to its easy fabrication and low cost cooling as cryocoolers, since the phenomenon occurs around 39K. For almost a decade surveys have been conducted with the objective of better understanding the mechanism of superconductivity in this material, as well as to improve its ability to withstand current in high magnetic fields and thus broaden their scope of industrial application. Today it is clear that the mechanism governing the superconductivity in Mg'B IND. 2' is the same as described in 1958 by Bardeen, Cooper and Schriefer, in the BCS theory. But on the other hand, practical issues remain incomplete, since the fall of the ability to conduct supercurrent in high magnetic fields (up to 6T) has not been satisfactorily overcome. To this end, it has been studied the introduction of several compounds in the matrix of magnesium diboride elements such as metal or carbon compounds. More recently, studies have turned to the use of ceramic processing techniques to improve the microstructure and better densification of the material. In this work the study of the addition of a new doping, 'C IND. 8''H IND. 18' hydrocarbon, is performed compared to other doping compounds that are extensively cited in the literature as silicon carbide and silicon oil. The process of sintering pellets ex situ is also investigated for all these additions in order to obtain denser material and therefore better performance in the transport properties. The used techniques include X ray diffraction, thermal analysis,... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Superconductivity in magnesium diboride (MgB2) was discovered in 2001. The relatively high Tc (39 K), high critical current density, long coherence length (∼6 nm), low raw material cost, lower density and relative ease of fabrication make this material an exciting choice for practical applications. Furthermore, lower anisotropy and strongly linked current flow in untextured polycrystalline samples, unlike its HTS counterparts, has enabled the development of different processing routes to fabricate MgB2 in the form of wires, tapes, thin films and bulks. Conventionally, MgB2 is synthesized by in situ sintering, where elemental Mg and B powders are reacted to produce MgB2. Although the superconducting phase can be obtained with relative ease, the resulting sample is generally only around 50% dense, due to formation of large pores inside sintered bulks arising from the volatility of magnesium and 25% volume contraction in MgB2 phase formation. Although the use of high pressure is effective to promote sintering and subsequent densification, the need to use large pressure vessels represents a significant practical limitation for the development of a practical process and of the achievable dimensions in the final MgB2 sample. As a result, the fabrication of high density, bulk MgB2 remains a challenging processing problem. This study explores the “Infiltration and Growth” (IG) technique, an established processing route for fabrication of dense ceramics/ceramic matrix composites, as a potential solution. Boron powders of varying characteristics were infiltrated with Mg(l) to obtain bulk MgB2 samples. The samples were analysed using techniques such as XRD, SEM and hardness to analyse various phases formed during the process. These samples typically contained MgB2 with minor quantities of Mg. Physical properties of superconducting MgB2, such as Tc, Jc and Hc2, were established. Furthermore, the effective current carrying cross-section was estimated from resistivity measurements using Rowel’s analysis. Continuous Mg channels were major defects in IG processed samples and their presence was found to limit long range current flow. These channels are eliminated by incorporating Mg/AlB2/MgB2 powders in the precursor to facilitate in-flux of Mg, leading to a more uniform infiltration process, thereby enabling fabrication of near-net shaped MgB2 bulk superconductors. Such samples showed an almost identical value of trapped magnetic flux at the top and bottom surfaces, suggesting a high degree of uniformity in MgB2. A careful microstructural analysis of a series of samples indicated that MgB2 phase formation in IG process occurred in three distinct stages: (1) Intermediate boride formation (2) Bulk liquid Mg infiltration and (3) MgB2 layer formation. Due to volume expansion involved in stage 1, cracks formed in the β-Boron particles and propagated radially inwards during stage 3. The growing MgB2 particles sintered simultaneously with the formation of grain boundaries during the process. Much enhanced performance of MgB2 was achieved by virtue of C-doping. Increased Jc was attributed to generation of lattice strains and loss of crystallinity in MgB2 as a result of C-doping. Finally, trapped field measurements were performed on homogeneous C-doped MgB2 bulks. The trapped field obtained (4.13 T) in five stacked of bulks is the highest obtained in MgB2 bulks synthesized under ambient pressure conditions.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:23:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-05-28Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:29:32Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 yonamine_ah_me_bauru.pdf: 4381396 bytes, checksum: 41612d38a875d111ee395a774fd55178 (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Após a descoberta dos novos supercondutores óxidos no ano de 1986, houve uma intensa busca por outros materiais que apresentassem o fenômeno da supercondutividade. Dentre as novas descobertas encontra-se o diboreto de magnésio, material intermetálico cuja supercondutividade era desconhecida até 2001. Atualmente, este é considerado ter um grande potencial de aplicação real devido a sua simplicidade de confecção e ao baixo custo de resfriamento em cryocoolers, visto que o fenômeno ocorre próximo de 39K. Ao longo de quase uma década muitas pesquisas foram realizadas com os objetivos de melhor conhecer o mecanismo de supercondutividade presente no material, assim como de aperfeiçoar a sua capacidade de suportar correntes em campos magnéticos altos e desta forma ampliar suas possibilidades de aplicação industrial. Hoje, encontra-se claro que o mecanismo que rege a supercondutividade no Mg'B IND. 2' é o mesmo descrito em 1958 por Bardeen, Cooper e Schriefer, na teoria BCS. Mas, por outro lado, as questões práticas permanecem incompletas, pois a queda da capacidade de conduzir supercorrente sob campos magnéticos altos (acima de 6T) ainda não foi superada satisfatoriamente. Com este objetivo, estuda-se a introdução de diversos compostos na matriz do diboreto de magnésio tais como elementos metálicos ou compostos de carbono. Mais recentemente, os estudos se voltaram para a utilização das técnicas de processamento cerâmico a fim de aperfeiçoar a microestrutura e melhor densificar o material. Neste trabalho o estudo da adição de um novo dopante, o hidrocarboneto 'C IND. 8''H IND. 18', é realizado comparativamente à outros dopantes extensivamente citados na literatura como o carbeto de silício e o óleo de silicone. O processo de sinterização de pastilhas ex situ é também investigado para todas... / After the discovery of new superconducting oxides in the year 1986, there was an intense search for other materials that show the phenomenon of superconductivity. Among the new discoveries is magnesium diboride, an intermetallic material whose superconductivity was unknown until 2001. Currently, it is considered to have great potential for real application due to its easy fabrication and low cost cooling as cryocoolers, since the phenomenon occurs around 39K. For almost a decade surveys have been conducted with the objective of better understanding the mechanism of superconductivity in this material, as well as to improve its ability to withstand current in high magnetic fields and thus broaden their scope of industrial application. Today it is clear that the mechanism governing the superconductivity in Mg'B IND. 2' is the same as described in 1958 by Bardeen, Cooper and Schriefer, in the BCS theory. But on the other hand, practical issues remain incomplete, since the fall of the ability to conduct supercurrent in high magnetic fields (up to 6T) has not been satisfactorily overcome. To this end, it has been studied the introduction of several compounds in the matrix of magnesium diboride elements such as metal or carbon compounds. More recently, studies have turned to the use of ceramic processing techniques to improve the microstructure and better densification of the material. In this work the study of the addition of a new doping, 'C IND. 8''H IND. 18' hydrocarbon, is performed compared to other doping compounds that are extensively cited in the literature as silicon carbide and silicon oil. The process of sintering pellets ex situ is also investigated for all these additions in order to obtain denser material and therefore better performance in the transport properties. The used techniques include X ray diffraction, thermal analysis,... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Pour les futures applications en télécommunications 5G, des substrats à base de silicium présentant une faible perte de signal et une excellente linéarité sont nécessaires. Parmi les solutions envisagées, la technologie RF-SOI est la plus avancée. Son empilement contient une couche de Haute Résistivité (HR), riche en pièges pour les porteurs de charges, composée de silicium polycristallin (poly-Si) de haute pureté déposée sur l’oxyde natif d'un substrat HR (HR-Si). Ce système présente certaines limitations provenant essentiellement de l'interface HR-Si/SiO2 et de sa stabilité thermique, mais également de la résistivité insuffisante de la couche riche en pièges. L'objectif principal de cette thèse était d'explorer des approches innovantes pour résoudre ces difficultés tout en restant compatible avec la technologie silicium. Afin d’atteindre ces objectifs, du carbone a été ajouté dans le système au cours des différentes étapes d'élaboration: i) remplacement de la couche interfaciale de SiO2 par une couche mince de 3C-SiC et ii) ajout de carbone pendant le dépôt de poly-Si.En utilisant la technique de dépôt chimique en phase vapeur à pression atmosphérique, des couches HR de poly-Si à l'état de l'art ont été déposée sur oxyde natif avec une épaisseur pouvant aller jusqu'à quelques dizaines de µm. Les résultats ont montré que la résistivité de la couche de poly-Si n'était pas directement dépendante de la taille moyenne des grains. Le remplacement de l'oxyde interfacial par une couche mince de mono- ou de poly-SiC, ainsi que l'adaptation des conditions de croissance ont permis d'atteindre des propriétés équivalentes à l'état de l'art des couches HR de poly-Si. Cet empilement a l'avantage d'être plus stable thermiquement en évitant la dissolution de la couche interfaciale. Cependant, ces améliorations sont accompagnées d’une chute de la résistivité à l’interface attribuée à la conductivité importante du matériau SiC. Par ailleurs, les propriétés de la couche HR et sa stabilité thermique peuvent être améliorées en dopant le poly-Si avec du Carbone, si une concentration adéquate de cette impureté est utilisée. L'insertion périodique de couches minces de SiC dans le poly-Si conduit à la stabilité thermique la plus élevée et à une augmentation de la résistivité moyenne de la couche. Néanmoins, des diminutions périodiques de la résistivité sont observées à chaque insertion de SiC / For future 5G telecommunication applications, Si-based substrates with low signal loss and excellent linearity are required. Among the envisaged solutions, RF-SOI is the most advanced. Its stack contains a High Resistivity (HR) Trap-Rich (TR) layer composed of high purity polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) deposited on thin SiO2 native oxide of a HR-Si substrate (HR-Si). Some limitations of such system come from the HR-Si/SiO2 interface and its thermal stability, while increasing the resistivity of the TR-layer is also suited. The main objective of this thesis was to explore innovative approaches for solving these difficulties while staying Si-compatible. Towards this end, carbon was added in the system at different elaboration stages by i) replacing the SiO2 interfacial layer by 3C-SiC and by ii) C-engineering of the poly-Si layer during deposition.Using Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition technique, state-of-the-art poly-Si TR-layers were grown on native oxide with thickness up to few tens of µm. It was found that the resistivity of the poly-Si was not directly dependent on the average grain size. Replacing the interfacial oxide by a thin mono- or poly-SiC layer and adapting the growth process allowed reaching equivalent properties of the poly-Si with the benefit of superior thermal stability by avoiding the interfacial layer dissolution. But it is accompanied by the presence of a resistivity drop at the interface due to the conductivity of the SiC material. By doping the poly-Si with C, both the TR-layer properties and thermal stability can be improved when adequate concentration of this impurity is used. Periodic insertion of thin SiC layers inside the poly-Si led to the highest thermal stability and an increase of the layer mean resistivity while periodic resistivity reductions were observed at each SiC insertion

The predicted acceptor impurity nature of carbon in hexagonal GaN grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) is revisited spectroscopically in the energy range between 1.6 and 3.5 eV. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra from ultra-pure GaN and material doped with carbon at a level of 1·18 cm⁻³ differ significantly in the energy range between 3.0 and 3.3 eV depending on the Ga/N stoichiometry during MBE growth. Acceptor-like features formerly attributed to carbon, beryllium or magnesium incorporation are found for both, undoped and carbon-doped GaN. The intensity of these features depends on the Ga/N stoichiometry during growth. While for Ga-lean surface regions, exhibiting multiple 10 nm deep pits, the observed PL features are found to be less intense compared to Ga-rich surface regions, the situation reverses for carbon-doped material. For all samples, the intensity of the yellow luminescence band around 2.2 eV is weak. The results point at crystal defects and the unintentionally present oxygen as the origin of the spectroscopic features traditionally attributed to carbon in GaN.

Im Hinblick auf das immense Potential von Diamant als Material für die Mikroelektronik wurden im Rahmen dieser Arbeit undotierte und dotierte Diamantfilme mittels chemischer Gasphasenabscheidung auf Silizium präpariert und anschließend auf ihre elektronischen Eigenschaften hin untersucht. Für Letzteres wurde hauptsächlich die Elektronen-Energieverlustspektroskopie in Transmission verwendet. In situ Gasphasendotierung oder Ionenimplantation wurde zur Dotierung der Filme mit Bor, Lithium oder Phosphor eingesetzt. Bei der Ionenimplantation wurde aufgrund der Erzeugung von Strahlenschäden generell eine Erhöhung des sp2-Anteils beobachtet: Letzterer konnte jedoch im Falle der Bordotierung durch eine, den Implantationsprozeß folgende, Hochtemperaturtemperung wieder deutlich vermindert werden. Für die in situ Dotierung mit Bor wurde eine Verringerung des sp2-Gehaltes mit steigender Dotierkonzentration gefunden. Für den Film mit der höchsten Borkonzentration konnte auch die B1s Absorptionskante untersucht werden. Sie gibt Hinweise auf den überwiegenden Einbau der Boratome in einer tetragonalen Orientierung. Das hiermit verbundene Vorhandensein von Akzeptoren führt zu elektronischen Anregungen im Energiebereich der Bandlücke, welche mittels Infrarotspektroskopie und EELS nachgewiesen werden konnten. Aus den EELS Messungen lassen sich Akzeptorkonzentrationen berechnen, welche wiederum den hohen Anteil an tetraedrisch eingebauten Boratomen bestätigen. Desweiteren untersucht wurden, als interessante Materialklasse mit weitreichendem technologischem Potential, undotierte und stickstoffdotierte, diamantartige amorphe Kohlenstoffilme und hierbei insbesondere die Abhängigkeit der elektronischen und optischen Eigenschaften von der Ionenenergie und dem Stickstoffpartialdruck während der Filmpräparation. Die Plasmonenergien, Massendichten, sp3-Anteile und die optischen Bandlücken der Filme wurden quantitativ bestimmt, wobei das jeweilige Maximum bei einer Ionenenergie von 100 eV gefunden wurde. Alle eben genannten Größen verringern sich kontinuierlich mit zunehmendem Stickstoffanteil. Eine Kramers-Kronig Analyse der Verlustspektren gibt Zugriff auf den Real- und Imaginärteil der dielektrischen Funktion und damit auf das Spektrum der Einteilchenanregungen. Die Hybridisierung der Kohlenstoff- und der Stickstoffatome wurde detailliert aus den jeweiligen 1s Absorptionskanten bestimmt. Weiterhin wurde Diamant als Modellsystem eines Festkörpers mit rein kovalenten Bindungen untersucht, insbesondere die Verlustfunktion von Diamant entlang mehrerer Hochsymmetriekristallrichtungen über einen großen Energie- und Impulsbereich. Aus den EELS Messungen erschließt sich unmittelbar die stark anisotrope Plasmonendispersion von Diamant. Aus dem Vergleich der experimentellen Spektren mit ab initio LDA Rechnungen, die sowohl Kristallokalfeldeffekte als auch Austausch- und Korrelationseffekte beinhalten, lassen sich direkt Rückschlüsse auf den Einfluß der verschiedenen Effekte ziehen. Schon im optischen Limit, aber umso mehr mit steigendem Impulsübertrag q, wird eine Überlagerung der kollektiven Plasmonanregung mit Einteilchenanregungen im Energiebereich des Plasmons beobachtet, woraus eine Kopplung zwischen beiden Arten von Anregungen resultiert. Abgesehen vom deutlichen Einfluß der Bandstruktur auf die Plasmonendispersion läßt die überaus inhomogene Elektronenverteilung von Diamant auf nicht zuvernachlässigende Kristallokalfeldeffekte schließen. Der Vergleich zwischen experimentellen und berechneten Spektren zeigt deutlich, wie die Kristallokalfeldeffekte in der Tat mit steigendem Impulsübertrag an Gewicht zunehmen und die Struktur der Verlustfunktion mitbestimmen. / In the context of the immense potential of diamond as a material for use in the microelectronics industry, in this thesis pristine and doped diamond films have been deposited on silicon using chemical vapour deposition. Subsequently their electronic properties have been investigated using mainly electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Doping of the films with boron, lithium or phosphorous was carried out either via in-situ gas phase doping during film growth or using ion implantation. Upon ion implantation an increase of the carbon content with sp2 hybridisation has generally been found due to ion beam induced damage. In the case of boron doping it was possible to significantly reduce this sp2-contribution using a high temperature anneal. For the in-situ doping with boron, upon increasing doping concentration a decrease of the sp2-contribution was found. For the sample with the highest boron content the boron 1s absorption edge could also be investigated, providing evidence for the preferential incorporation of the boron atoms into tetrahedrally co-ordinated sites. This boron incorporation leads to the existence of electronic excitations in the energy range of the band gap, which could be observed using both infrared and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. From the electron energy-loss measurements it was possible to calculate acceptor concentrations which were consistent with the large amount of tetrahedrally co-ordinated boron atoms. A second theme in this thesis involved the study of pristine and nitrogen doped diamond-like amorphous carbon films, which are an interesting material class with far-reaching technological potential. Here the focus of the research concerned the dependency of the electronic and optical properties of the films upon the ion energy and the nitrogen partial pressure applied during the film preparation. The plasmon energies, mass densities, sp3 contribution and the optical band gaps of the samples were determined quantitatively, whereby the maximum in all these quantities was found to occur for ion energies of 100 eV. Furthermore, all of these characteristics were found to decrease continually with increasing nitrogen content. A Kramers-Kronig analysis of the loss spectra enabled the derivation of the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric function and with this of the complete spectrum of single particle excitations. The hybridization between the carbon and nitrogen atoms was also studied in detail from the analysis of the respective 1s absorption edges. Furthermore this thesis deals with the investigation of diamond as a model system for solids with pure covalent bonds. In particular, the loss function of diamond was measured along different high symmetry directions over a wide range of energy and momentum. Firstly, the EELS measurements showed directly the strongly anisotropic nature of the plasmon dispersion in diamond. Secondly, by the comparison of the experimental spectra with ab initio LDA-based calculations that include crystal local field effects as well as exchange and correlation contributions, conclusions can be drawn as to the influence of these quantities. In the optical limit, but even more so with increasing momentum transfer q, a superposition of the collective plasmon excitation and the single particle excitations in the energy range of the plasmon is observed. This energetic proximity results in a coupling between both types of excitations. Apart from the distinct influence of the bandstructure on the plasmon dispersion, the considerably inhomogeneous electron distribution of diamond would lead one to expect significant crystal local field effects in this system. The comparison between the experimental and the calculated spectra shows explicitly that the crystal local field effects increase with increasing momentum transfer and play an important role in defining the structure of the loss function.