Abstract
In this study the interaction of the diamond surface with carbon is examined. Carbon, supplied by electron beam evaporation, is deposited on a polycrystalline diamond film of (100) orientation. The interface formation and carbon film growth are monitored by photoelectron spectroscopy in the ultraviolet (UPS) and X-ray (XPS) regime. The deposition of small amounts of carbon triggers changes in the surface structure of diamond, evidenced by an increase in the intensity of peaks located below 4 eV binding energy. Subsequently the deposition of amorphous carbon (a-C) leads to an abrupt interface. The analysis of the XPS data indicates a growth mode of the overlayer close to a layer-by-layer growth. The microscopic structure of the boundary layer between diamond and a-C is still a subject of discussion and several models are suggested. The diamond/amorphous carbon heterostructure is an example of a crystalline-amorphous heterostructure where both components are formed by the same element.