Notes by Akshat Jiwan Sharma

  There is ongoing debate about the exact mechanisms that cause diamond formation in the microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) process. While it’s well established that methane (CH4) and hydrogen (H2)are the key gases Hydrogen etches away non-diamond (sp2) carbon, while carbon from CH₄ contributes to diamond (sp3) growth.  Yet the exact carbon-containing species responsible for diamond growth ,whether CH3 radicals, C2 dimers, or other species are the dominant contributors are not known. It's also not clear what surface reactions and growth mechanisms contribute to growth and how these species attach to diamond surfaces and stabilize sp3 bonds. While the general scheme is agreed upon, the precise atomic and plasma-chemical pathways that make diamond grow in MPCVD[2] are still a topic of active research and debate. Here's what I think happens Hydrogenation of carbon structures adds H atoms to carbon.This process promotes sp3 hybridization in formerly sp2 ,sp carbons...