Aerosol deposition of detonation nanodiamonds used as nucleation centers for the growth of nanocrystalline diamond films and isolated particles

The aerosol deposition of detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) on a silicon substrate is comprehensively studied, and the possibility of subsequent growth of nanocrystalline diamond films and isolated particles on substrates coated with DNDs is demonstrated. It is shown that a change in the deposition time and the weight concentration of DNDs in a suspension in the range 0.001–1% results in a change in the shape of DND agglomerates and their number per unit substrate surface area $N_s$ from 10$^8$ to 10$^{11}$ cm$^{-2}$. Submicron isolated diamond particles are grown on a substrate coated with DND agglomerates at $N_s\approx$ 10$^8$ cm$^{-2}$ using microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. At $N_s\approx$ 10$^{10}$ cm$^{-2}$, thin ($\sim$100 nm) nanodiamond films with a root-mean-square surface roughness less than 15 nm are grown.