Nanocrystalline diamond films (NCD) can potentially be used in a large variety of applications such as electrochemical electrodes, tribology, cold cathodes, and corrosion resistance. A thorough knowledge of the electrical properties of NCD films is therefore critical to understand and predict their performance in various applications. In the present work the electrical properties of NCD films were analysed using Impedance Spectroscopy and Hall Effect measurements. Impedance Spectroscopy permits to identify and single out the conduction paths within the films tested. Such conduction paths can be through grain interiors and/or grain boundaries. Hall measurements, carried out on Borondoped NCD, permits determination of the mobility of the films. Specific treatments were devised to enhance the properties of the NCD films studied. Detonation nanodiamond (DND) is becoming an increasingly interesting material. It is already used as abrasive material or component for coatings [1], but its potential applications can extend far beyond these. It is therefore essential to understand the structure and electrical properties of DND in order to exploit the full potential of this material. In the present work, electrical properties of DND were studied using Impedance Spectroscopy. The results obtained suggest that DND could be used to manufacture devices able to work as Ammonia detectors. Another major area of study in this work was ultra-violet diamond photodetectors. Using high quality CVD single-crystal diamond, UV photodetection devices were built using standard lithographic techniques. Following the application of heat treatments, the photoconductive properties of these devices were highly enhanced. The devices represent the state-of-the-art UV diamond photodetectors.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:565075 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Bevilacqua, M. |
| Publisher | University College London (University of London) |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/192821/ |
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