Water desorption effects on the surface electrical resistance of air-exposed hydrogenated diamond

The air-exposed hydrogenated diamond surface has been studied by carrier transport measurements and density functional theory. Our results have allowed us to understand the close relationship between the physisorbed water molecules and the electrical resistance. We have therefore been able to show that the evolution of the resistance over time and temperature can be related to the extent of the hole accumulation layer originating at the surface of the hydrogenated diamond. The method has allowed us to estimate the desorption energy of a single water molecule by means of resistance measurements alone.