Characterization of diamond detectors prepared by DC plasma glow discharge CVD

We report on transport properties of CVD diamond films prepared by means of a DC plasma glow discharge method. Continuous free-standing diamond films have been obtained with good electrical properties by a proper tuning of the deposition parameters. At growth rate as low as about 10-20 mu m/h we have no evidence of Raman features ascribed to non-diamond carbon phases. These films show very low leakage currents and resistivities as high as 10(13) Ohm cm. The high resistivity samples show a clear evidence of a signal when exposed to a radiation. The I-T analysis show that at high temperature (up to 400 degrees C) the conduction process is dominated by an impurity level, attribuited to isolated substitutional nitrogen. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.